Predict what positional groups are better/worse in 2024?

[Einstein]

QB - Same

RB - Same

WR - Objectively worse with the loss of our top 2 WR’s

TE - Same

O Line - I fear that the loss of Morse which affects the left side of our line will loom large but i’m willing to same “Same” for now with 4/5 players returning.

 

D Line - Same, as I feel Miller will be better, offsetting the loss of Floyd

Linebackers - Improved with Milano back

Cornerbacks - Question mark. I’m really curious to see what happens here.
Safeties - Worse in leadership, improved in age and perhaps improved in athleticism (due to the improvement in age)

[dave mcbride]

4 minutes ago, Einstein said:

QB - Same

RB - Same

WR - Objectively worse with the loss of our top 2 WR’s

TE - Same

O Line - I fear that the loss of Morse which affects the left side of our line will loom large but i’m willing to same “Same” for now with 4/5 players returning.

 

D Line - Same, as I feel Miller will be better, offsetting the loss of Floyd

Linebackers - Improved with Milano back

Cornerbacks - Question mark. I’m really curious to see what happens here.
Safeties - Worse in leadership, improved in age and perhaps improved in athleticism (due to the improvement in age)

By the latter part of 2023, Shakhir was a significantly better receiver than Davis, so they didn’t lose their top two receivers.

[GrimboG]

I think Cornerbacks should be better this year. We lost Tre for most of last season and this year will have Douglas from the start plus (hopefully) an improved Elam in the mix. 

Edited August 12 by GrimboG

[pi2000]

Teams are going to test the safeties, which are definitely the biggest concern.

[MJS]

Why are you curious about the corners? They are basically the same as last year. So, they are at least the same, possibly better do to further growth and development by Benford and Elam.

 

The receivers are probably worse. Diggs and Davis were so bad down the stretch, though. And Harty and Sherfield were useless. I like the makeup of this year's receivers more, although we do lack the superstar. But, Diggs didn't really play like a superstar the 2nd half of the season anyway...

[nedboy7]

Gabe went from whipping boy to a key departure?   Perhaps we will miss him. Don’t know. 
how did the CB room get worse?  Cause the dude on IR is gone?   Sad to see White go regardless. 
safety yes.  That’s the only group that took a major hit.  Which could be an issue. 
why not sign Tannehill over Trubisky?  Back up QB is rather important.  

Edited August 12 by nedboy7

[JohnNord]

2 hours ago, Einstein said:

QB - Same

RB - Same

WR - Objectively worse with the loss of our top 2 WR’s

TE - Same

O Line - I fear that the loss of Morse which affects the left side of our line will loom large but i’m willing to same “Same” for now with 4/5 players returning.

 

D Line - Same, as I feel Miller will be better, offsetting the loss of Floyd

Linebackers - Improved with Milano back

Cornerbacks - Question mark. I’m really curious to see what happens here.
Safeties - Worse in leadership, improved in age and perhaps improved in athleticism (due to the improvement in age)

 

WR is a tough one.  In a vacuum, Diggs is still the best WR on the team.  In Brady’s offense he won’t get the volume he had in the past, and his skills have also declined a bit.   Let’s say he’s a top 20 WR.
 

I think a player like Curtis Samuel overall is just as good as a Gabe Davis, and Shakir seems to on his way to a better season in 2024.  
 

The bottom of the WR room with Johnson, Hollins, and maybe Shavers are an upgrade over Sherfield, Harty, and Isabella.  
 

So overall the WR is a little worse overall due to the lack of a high end talent at WR.  But Id argue the bottom of the WR is an upgrade.

[MikePJ76]

The group I am most worried about is the defensive line.  It feels really thin and only about average at best when everyone is healthy.

 

Jones being hurt already is a bad sign.  

I really hope they go look for some help at end when the cuts happen.

 

i am high on carter but that is a gradual growth to being an outstanding player imo.  I just hope for this year he stays healthy 

all the way through the season and plays the run really well.

[SCBills]

QB - Better (I think Allen has put in the work this off-season)

 

RB - Better (Cook is still here & Davis is a talent/youth upgrade over Murray)

 

TE - Better (Knox hopefully healthy & sky is the limit for Kincaid Year 2)

 

WR - Better (No Diggs, but our 1-4 is better than last years & honestly, last half of the season, outside Shakir, our WR's were objectively bad)

 

OL - Worse (Hoping they'll be a push as we approach Week 1, but Morse/McGovern > McGovern/Edwards until proven otherwise)

 

DL - Better (I think Von can give us Floyd, Groot/AJE still here, Smoot is better than our DE4 last year.  Johnson is better than our DT3 last year, but I do have some concern over Carter as DT4)

 

LB - Better (Played most of the season without Milano.. even 80% Milano makes this a really good LB tandem)

 

CB - Better (Douglas Year 2, Benford Year 3, Elam finding his groove, still have Taron etc..)

 

S - Worse (Legitimately concerned about this room)

 

 

Edited August 12 by SCBills

[SoonerBillsFan]

IF you look at Saturdays preseason game the DL looks worse, and the OL looks drastically worse, esp. The Run Blocking. 

 

I would have started the Rookie at center and let him develop all year, but that's not how Mcbeane chose to go.

 

WR I think will surprise the lingering doubters by year end.

2 minutes ago, SCBills said:

QB - Better (I think Allen has put in the work this off-season)

 

RB - Better (Cook is still here & Davis is a talent/youth upgrade over Murray)

 

TE - Better (Knox hopefully healthy & sky is the limit for Kincaid Year 2)

 

WR - Better (No Diggs, but our 1-4 is better than last years & honestly, last half of the season, outside Shakir, our WR's were objectively bad)

 

OL - Worse (Hoping they'll be a push as we approach Week 1, but Morse/McGovern > McGovern/Edwards until proven otherwise)

 

DL - Better (I think Von can give us Floyd, Groot/AJE still here, Smoot is better than our DE4 last year.  Johnson is better than our DT3 last year, but I do have some concern over Carter as DT4)

 

LB - Better (Played most of the season without Milano.. even 80% Milano makes this a really good LB tandem)

 

CB - Better (Douglas Year 2, Benford Year 3, Elam finding his groove, still have Taron etc..)

 

S - Worse (Legitimately concerned about this room)

 

 

Jury is out on Safety until December.  We will get 2 guys back that will make an impact I believe by then. 

[dpberr]

Safety will be rough in September, but will gel with game time.

 

I am concerned about special teams.  Matt Smiley underwhelms as a teacher.  Last year's unit was poor.   Lots of new faces, could be communication issues.  Not confident punter and kicker are going to be reliably good.  There's too much "faith" that Bass and Martin will perform well.  

[Einstein]

2 hours ago, MJS said:

Why are you curious about the corners? They are basically the same as last year.

 

Corner play is often affected by S play. I have often felt that our corners play above their natural ability because of elite S play. I’m curious how they do without it.

[DJB]

Oline. 
 

Morse was a larger loss than many want to admit . Spencer Brown is also not as good as many think either . He’s still a work in progress and I’m not confident with him to be productive and or stay healthy. 
 

Right now I’m very leery about giving him a big contract 

[SCBills]

People who are worried about WR.. Is it anything on tape from last year or just the loss of Diggs - in terms of what Diggs had been for us?

 

The last half of the season, Diggs wasn't getting open and didn't seem like his heart was in it at all.  Davis is what he is, and that's not a reliable target in the flow of the Offense.  The one guy who emerged was Shakir.. and we'll have to see if that continues, but with the addition of Samuel & expected jump for Kincaid, he's not exactly in the Gabe Davis WR2 situation we found ourselves hoping for after the KC 4 TD game. 

[LABILLBACKER]

3 hours ago, Einstein said:

QB - Same

RB - Same

WR - Objectively worse with the loss of our top 2 WR’s

TE - Same

O Line - I fear that the loss of Morse which affects the left side of our line will loom large but i’m willing to same “Same” for now with 4/5 players returning.

 

D Line - Same, as I feel Miller will be better, offsetting the loss of Floyd

Linebackers - Improved with Milano back

Cornerbacks - Question mark. I’m really curious to see what happens here.
Safeties - Worse in leadership, improved in age and perhaps improved in athleticism (due to the improvement in age)

A lot of good our safety leadership did us in the playoffs v KC/ Cincy.  I want athleticism,  speed and the ability to make splash plays.  

[pi2000]

18 minutes ago, LABILLBACKER said:

A lot of good our safety leadership did us in the playoffs v KC/ Cincy.  I want athleticism,  speed and the ability to make splash plays.  

 

What good is speed and athleticism when you're out of position, easily fooled on misdirections, and bite on fakes?

 

Poyer and Hyde may have lost a step or two, but they were always in position to make the play.  That takes smarts and discipline...  it will come eventually but 3rd down will be problem early on.   I forsee a lot of 3 and long conversions against this defense.... either gonna be a sack or guys will be breaking open downfield.

 

Will be a true test for McD to coach these guys up.  🙏🏽

[LeGOATski]

3 hours ago, GrimboG said:

I think Cornerbacks should be better this year. We lost Tre for most of last season and this year will have Douglas from the start plus (hopefully) an improved Elam in the mix. 

And Benford I assume is only getting better, not worse

8 minutes ago, pi2000 said:

 

What good is speed and athleticism when you're out of position, easily fooled on misdirections, and bite on fakes?

 

Poyer and Hyde may have lost a step or two, but they were always in position to make the play.  That takes smarts and discipline...  it will come eventually but 3rd down will be problem early on.   I forsee a lot of 3 and long conversions against this defense.... either gonna be a sack or guys will be breaking open downfield.

 

Will be a true test for McD to coach these guys up.  🙏🏽

All the more reason for Babich to get more aggressive on 3rd down. It's gonna work against most QBs.

[NewEra]

QB- same- but I think Trubisky is better than Kyl Allen

 

RB- while I don’t think the needle moves a ton as Davis is a rookie, I think he’s an upgrade over Murray-  better

 

WR-  worse with the potential to be as good if not better.

 

TE- better-  same players but Kincaid will be better. 
 

OL- worse-  I think McGovern-Morse is better than Edwards- McGovern.  Maybe Torrance and Brown improve and even things out, but they weren’t very good on Saturday.  
 

DL-  tough call-  I think the DTs are better this season.  We also missed daquan most of the season.  The edge rushers will probably be similar as long as Von can produce some. 
 

LBs-  better-  Milano back, Bernard and Williams with another year.  Morrow, Spector and Jones all seem to be decent depth

 

CB- better- slightly-   I think elam will be improved and contribute this season.  Benford will be improved.  Douglas very solid.  Losing tre doesn’t count imo.  Seems like we have a legit backup for Taron with Hardy 

 

S-  worse.  Bishop could change that, but we don’t know much of anything about him as a pro yet. 
 

what will matter more than all of this:  

 

OC-  tbd

DC-  tbd

the great unknown that will be a great determiner of our success imo.  

[BADOLBILZ]

 

My concern is that the lack of imposing intermediate AND deep receiving targets will allow defense's to compress the field and make all the units look worse on offense.  

 

They badly need a playmaker outside to make big plays and command extra attention.   I doubt they have that guy in house.  Without it,  expect DC's to be able to throw the kitchen sink at Allen and this offense for the first time since before his breakout season in 2020.   Allen is great but this is going to be a step up in degree of difficulty if they can't make defense's defend every "blade of grass".   I think I was accurate in predicting they are going to try to get by with a lot of tight formations on offense but I don't think that tactic is likely to work for long if they can't win lining up outside the numbers as well.  It is a crazy situation to be in when you have a QB who can make throws to parts of the field that are uncharted for most defense's.      

 

Defensively, my biggest concern is LB depth.   Both the Bills starters are durability concerns, IMO so the depth is important there.   Dorian Williams is key, IMO.  I hoped he would step up big this year,  but that's more of a question mark now, IMO.   Still could happen though,  hopefully the light comes on.   Spector and Ulofoshio are nice talents too but also brittle.   If they could stay healthy Bernard and Milano should be about the same as they were early last year(which was excellent) but I doubt that they will stay healthy. 

 

DL:  should be slightly improved.  Contract year for Groot and maybe an extension year for Epenesa so could see big things from them.  Von should be improved.

CB: should be improved.  Love that group.

S:  I expect to be near the same........I know that's considered a hot take but I don't think the safety play has been that good the last 2 seasons so the bar isn't like it was back when Hyde and Poyer were excellent.   I think they can slap together a decent pairing with what they have.

[SCBills]

4 minutes ago, BADOLBILZ said:

 

My concern is that the lack of imposing intermediate AND deep receiving targets will allow defense's to compress the field and make all the units look worse on offense.  

 

They badly need a playmaker outside to make big plays and command extra attention.   I doubt they have that guy in house.  Without it,  expect DC's to be able to throw the kitchen sink at Allen and this offense for the first time since before his breakout season in 2020.   Allen is great but this is going to be a step up in degree of difficulty if they can't make defense's defend every "blade of grass".   I think I was accurate in predicting they are going to try to get by with a lot of tight formations on offense but I don't think that tactic is likely to work for long if they can't win lining up outside the numbers as well.  It is a crazy situation to be in when you have a QB who can make throws to parts of the field that are uncharted for most defense's.      

 

Defensively, my biggest concern is LB depth.   Both the Bills starters are durability concerns, IMO so the depth is important there.   Dorian Williams is key, IMO.  I hoped he would step up big this year,  but that's more of a question mark now, IMO.   Still could happen though,  hopefully the light comes on.   Spector and Ulofoshio are nice talents too but also brittle.   If they could stay healthy Bernard and Milano should be about the same as they were early last year(which was excellent) but I doubt that they will stay healthy. 

 

DL:  should be slightly improved.  Contract year for Groot and maybe an extension year for Epenesa so could see big things from them.  Von should be improved.

CB: should be improved.  Love that group.

S:  I expect to be near the same........I know that's considered a hot take but I don't think the safety play has been that good the last 2 seasons so the bar isn't like it was back when Hyde and Poyer were excellent.   I think they can slap together a decent pairing with what they have.

 

This is why I don't understand anyone that doesn't want MVS on this team.  I don't care if he has hands issues.. we don't have his skillset currently and need someone to go out there and periodically run those clear out routes that once in a while Allen throws to.