Buffalo Bills Ongoing Thread

[shopson67]

Keeping Richie was big for sure, at a good contact as well. First time in how many years they've returned all 5 starting linemen?

I liked Hogan, and losing him to the Patriots hurts extra. Gotta believe they'll use him correctly and make the Bills look stupid.

 

[TKOSpikes]

Keeping Richie was big for sure, at a good contact as well. First time in how many years they've returned all 5 starting linemen?

I liked Hogan, and losing him to the Patriots hurts extra. Gotta believe they'll use him correctly and make the Bills look stupid.

Yup. That one I'm upset about. I love Hogan. Hated the Percy Harvin signing last year, and hate this even more. Welkerized in New England is likely.

 

[shopson67]

They sniped Amendola as a free agent from the Rams, now Hogan from the Bills. I hate the Patriots, lol.

 

[shopson67]

Bills sign Jim Dray, TE. Roman was his position coach during his senior year at Stanford. He's a solid blocking TE that can catch the occasional pass. Definitely fills a need on their TE depth chart.

 

[HammerDown]

 

[shopson67]

Of those guys, Cardale makes the most sense. The Bills have a starter right now and can develop a QB, but also more pressing needs that should be addressed in the first few rounds. Too expensive to get into position for Goff. Cook could be an option in the 2nd if he lasts. Not sure if Lynch is worth #19.

 

[TKOSpikes]

Leonard Hankerson? Not terrible, but can't catch a cold half the time.

 

[johnson]

Terrible offseason for the Bills so far. They've basically done nothing so far as adding adding new talent to the roster. Jim Dray? Um...no.

This "approach" is fine if you are coming off winning the Super Bowl, but if you missed the playoffs (again) I'd have expected something slightly more aggressive. The Bills are known for dominating the draft though so I suppose they will clean up there.

 

[shopson67]

Dray is a better backup blocking TE than any they had last year. He's a good fit IMO.

The Bills used their cap space re-signing key guys, so they can't afford to make a big splash this year. They are adding depth guys on the cheap (and quite a few in the past week or so).

 

[johnson]

Dray is a better backup blocking TE than any they had last year. He's a good fit IMO.

The Bills used their cap space re-signing key guys, so they can't afford to make a big splash this year. They are adding depth guys on the cheap (and quite a few in the past week or so).

I feel like we are getting into familiar territory soon....

I criticize the Bills for their crap offseason and/or bad drafting and/or mismanagement and predict another year of the usual.

Everyone else piles on me, tells me I'm a negative nancy, and cites various things to support the idea that "next year will be different."

The year plays out. I am right. Others teams play in the playoffs. The SB happens. And then the offseason...

REPEAT CYCLE...going on about 15 years now. Going out on a huge limb here and predicting, at this point, that the Bills will not make the playoffs.

 

[shopson67]

I'm just saying they went all out last year, so they don't have the cap space to do so this year. They kept the guys they needed to keep and that took most of their available money.

Who did you want them to pursue?

 

[johnson]

I'm just saying they went all out last year, so they don't have the cap space to do so this year. They kept the guys they needed to keep and that took most of their available money.

Who did you want them to pursue?

At this point...I guess you're right. But that bolsters my point on their mismanagement. They blew their load last year and it resulted in yet another "who cares" season without sniffing the playoffs. So they do nothing this year, resting on a status quo that was not nearly good enough.

Last year...no playoffs. This offseason...lose Mario Williams, add Jim Dray. They aren't going to the playoffs.

 

[shopson67]

At this point...I guess you're right. But that bolsters my point on their mismanagement. They blew their load last year and it resulted in yet another "who cares" season without sniffing the playoffs. So they do nothing this year, resting on a status quo that was not nearly good enough.

Last year...no playoffs. This offseason...lose Mario Williams, add Jim Dray. They aren't going to the playoffs.

Losing Mario is huge on the surface, but given his production last year, it's not going to be much of a drop-off to this year. Two years ago, sure. If they draft a DE early, there may actually be improvement at the position given Mario's crappy season.

The other losses aren't as headline worthy, but can still sting: McKelvin, Bradham, Brooks, Charles, Hogan. McKelvin was an anticipated one, as the Bills have dealt with mostly down seasons with him and weren't going to spend much to keep him. Bradham and Hogan hurt a bit, especially with Hogan going to the Patsies. I'm sure they'll get more out of him than the Bills have figured how to. Brooks and Charles were solid depth.

I do like the pickup of Zach Brown. He seemed to get marginalized after his injury, so a fresh start could really bear fruit. Blanton and Arenas are decent pickups to help bolster the CB/S depth. CBs White and Sterling are young depth, but I don't know much about them. WR Hankerson had some moments, but needs to get over his drop issues. Between him and Salas, Little, and Boykin, they have some WR depth to sort out. They could still use a WR in the draft that would hopefully be better than these guys, who are 4th WRs at best unless they prove differently.

The holes going into the draft look like 3-4 DE (both ends, as Kyle isn't getting any younger), inside LB, outside LB opposite Hughes, RT, S, WR, developmental QB, RB depth. There is serious DE talent depth in this draft, which bodes well.

 

[TKOSpikes]

At this point...I guess you're right. But that bolsters my point on their mismanagement. They blew their load last year and it resulted in yet another "who cares" season without sniffing the playoffs. So they do nothing this year, resting on a status quo that was not nearly good enough.

Last year...no playoffs. This offseason...lose Mario Williams, add Jim Dray. They aren't going to the playoffs.

Remember when you were upset with Stevie Johnson leaving?

Mario is just a name. Did you watch him "play" last year? Fucking right get rid of his ass. Pathetic, selfish POS is all he is.

 

[johnson]

Remember when you were upset with Stevie Johnson leaving?

Mario is just a name. Did you watch him "play" last year? Fucking right get rid of his ass. Pathetic, selfish POS is all he is.

Yeah, he wasn't impressive last year, but he's still a huge talent that was not being used properly by the coaching staff. I'm not crying over him leaving, but he leaves another gap to fill in terms of talent that won't be that easy.

I lost track of all the times the Bills irked me with their stupidity. I could name 20 times and you could probably cite one or two that weren't quite as bad as I thought. Garbage organization. You can't help but feel they've hit their ceiling with the mediocrity they've "achieved" the past two years.

 

[TKOSpikes]

Yeah, he wasn't impressive last year, but he's still a huge talent that was not being used properly by the coaching staff. I'm not crying over him leaving, but he leaves another gap to fill in terms of talent that won't be that easy.

I lost track of all the times the Bills irked me with their stupidity. I could name 20 times and you could probably cite one or two that weren't quite as bad as I thought. Garbage organization. You can't help but feel they've hit their ceiling with the mediocrity they've "achieved" the past two years.

Not arguing with you there.

It is what it is, I guess. It was tough road after Tom Brady came out of the shadows. Add those two losses every year, with two games of "blowing it" every year, and we're left with what we've been. An 8 - 4 team with NO QB.

...and yes, I do believe Taylor is different than Bledsoe, Losman, Holcomb, Orton, Fitzpatrick and all the rest under center. Laugh at me if you want, but he has the deep accuracy you want for this team. Just needs to learn scrambling, i.e. Russell Wilson. And experience.

 

[johnson]

Not arguing with you there.

It is what it is, I guess. It was tough road after Tom Brady came out of the shadows. Add those two losses every year, with two games of "blowing it" every year, and we're left with what we've been. An 8 - 4 team with NO QB.

...and yes, I do believe Taylor is different than Bledsoe, Losman, Holcomb, Orton, Fitzpatrick and all the rest under center. Laugh at me if you want, but he has the deep accuracy you want for this team. Just needs to learn scrambling, i.e. Russell Wilson. And experience.

I think all we can say with certainty is Taylor is better than Losman and Holcomb in that list. Needs more than a year of decent play that didn't result in playoffs for me to put him ahead of Bledsoe, Orton or even Fitzmagic.

You got it with the automatic 4 losses. Your season is just done. You can also usually add a loss to some joke of a team (see Jaguars in London), but that is sometimes including in the "blowing it" games.

They've had a very easy schedule for a few years now and have not taken advantage of it. 2016 is brutal in comparison to the slate of half cupcakes they've had recently. I don't see great things. NE, NE, AZ, SEA, PIT, CIN...most would pen these as six losses. They probably steal one in there, but then maybe win a little more than they lose after that...so 7-9 wins? You've seen this movie before.

 

[TKOSpikes]

Again... can't argue. (Still believe Taylor will be better), but that is opinion.

Yes, the Jags game was sick. EJ Manuel gave them 14 points in the first five minutes... then we hammered them. A bad call, a fluky catch later, it's a "blowing it" game.

Chiefs, last two years... blew it.

...but yes, the schedule this year is a much different animal than the South divisions.

 

[johnson]

Again... can't argue. (Still believe Taylor will be better), but that is opinion.

Yes, the Jags game was sick. EJ Manuel gave them 14 points in the first five minutes... then we hammered them. A bad call, a fluky catch later, it's a "blowing it" game.

Chiefs, last two years... blew it.

...but yes, the schedule this year is a much different animal than the South divisions.

Yeah, gonna be rough, but maybe it will result in Rex not getting another year.

I love the Bills. The fans love them no matter how much they crap on the fans. Never want them to leave. But I stopped taking them seriously a very long time ago and see no reason to see them as anything but a joke organization in the foreseeable future either.

I feel silly for buying into the Rex Ryan Kool Aid a little bit before the season started. It was a desperate, uncharacteristic move on my part.

 

[SpringStein]

Just finished a mock here at the Hoop picking for the Bills. This is what I ended up with:

1. Jack Conklin, OT, Michigan State
2. Su'a Cravens, OLB, Southern Cal
3. Bronson Kaufusi, DE, BYU
4. Cardale Jones, QB, Ohio State
4 c. Roberto Aguayo, K, Florida State
5. Tajae Sharpe, WR, U Mass
6. Darius Latham, DT, Indiana
6c. Cassanova McKinzy, OLB, Auburn

If you want to see what was available when my turn came around:
Round 7 Selection Thread