Buffalo Bills Season's End: The Off-Seasons Starts Now

[brian_griffin]

Jimbo Fisher just found a fishing buddy.

If the Bills miss the playoffs and have a rare highish pick for them, priority #1 absolutely needs to be to get a player with gamebreaking ability. I don't care if it's a WR, OT, DE, LB (ok probably shouldn't be a LB), or S. We need a home run player. We've hit almost no home runs. This is hopefully the highest we'll get to draft while we have Allen. Need a player that can become an all pro.

Lineman. Preferably left OT.

 

[Husko]

If the Bills miss the playoffs and have a rare highish pick for them, priority #1 absolutely needs to be to get a player with gamebreaking ability. I don't care if it's a WR, OT, DE, LB (ok probably shouldn't be a LB), or S. We need a home run player. We've hit almost no home runs. This is hopefully the highest we'll get to draft while we have Allen. Need a player that can become an all pro.

If we're looking at specific players in the 15ish range where we could be drafting:
-WR: If any of Coleman, Odunze, or or Nabers fall to us
-OT: Outstanding class, Alt, Latham, Mims, Guyton could all be franchise LT types
-DE: Lots of first round talent. Verse is probably the highest upside guy in terms of game breaking that could fall to us for reasons
-LB/S: Brugler doesn't currently have one in his top 30

Jimbo Fisher just found a fishing buddy.

Lineman. Preferably left OT.

I'm not against taking an OT. There's a good chance that's the best value and highest upside at our pick. But:
(1) Dawkins is having a tremendous season and deserves an extension
(2) Brown is actually having a good year; and most importantly:
(3) OL, as a single weak link unit, is a hard position for one player to be truly game breaking player unless they're a very special talent. I'd have to feel good that I'm getting a true franchise leave on an island every play LT to feel great about using a rare high pick on OL.

 

[Jim Bob]

Given the Bills need to replace Gabe Davis with a cap friendly player, I really hope the Bills go WR with one of their first two picks given how deep the WR class appears to be this year.

WR-OT or OT-WR would not be a bad way to go.

Although, I know that they will likely take a DE in the first with Epenesa and Floyd unlikely to be back...

 

[Husko]

Given the Bills need to replace Gabe Davis with a cap friendly player, I really hope the Bills go WR with one of their first two picks given how deep the WR class appears to be this year.

WR-OT or OT-WR would not be a bad way to go.

Although, I know that they will likely take a DE in the first with Epenesa and Floyd unlikely to be back...

Epenesa and Floyd gone, Shaq old, Von in limbo, and Rousseau entering a contract year and still not fully breaking out. For better or worse, DE continues to be a huge need.

 

[Jim Bob]

Epenesa and Floyd gone, Shaq old, Von in limbo, and Rousseau entering a contract year and still not fully breaking out. For better or worse, DE continues to be a huge need.

The only thing I fall back on is that getting Floyd like they did this year has me hoping they are able to get an affordable DE or two in FA and not have it as a huge need by the time the draft rolls around.

Quality WRs and OTs are rarely cheap in FA.

 

[Husko]

The only thing I fall back on is that getting Floyd like they did this year has me hoping they are able to get an affordable DE or two in FA and not have it as a huge need by the time the draft rolls around.

Quality WRs and OTs are rarely cheap in FA.

For me, I just hope it's a super high upside impact player in the first. If the DE is someone they believe can be a 20 sack guy, great. If he's just a DE because we need a DE, no thanks. Same for OT and WR. High upside. We need a homerun with this pick.

 

[SabresFan26]

I kind of take this as McDermott being a DC and not a head coach.

"And then offensively, we've got to not be in those one-score games. We've got to pull ahead or play better earlier in the game," he explained. "But again it's what we're trying to do to get solved and move forward as a football team."

Your offense has consistently given you leads for years under two minutes. Josh Allen gave you two leads in under 2 minutes at KC and you still lost because of defense not closing it out.

It's consistent. He needs to go and they need to get someone else to lead this team forward moving forward.

 

[KeyserSoze81]

I kind of take this as McDermott being a DC and not a head coach.

"And then offensively, we've got to not be in those one-score games. We've got to pull ahead or play better earlier in the game," he explained. "But again it's what we're trying to do to get solved and move forward as a football team."

Your offense has consistently given you leads for years under two minutes. Josh Allen gave you two leads in under 2 minutes at KC and you still lost because of defense not closing it out.

It's consistent. He needs to go and they need to get someone else to lead this team forward moving forward.

He has a massive ego, makes poor decisions under pressure, and then tries to deflect the blame elsewhere. He is that coworker that we all hate.

 

[TehDoak]

McDermott has taken over playcalling in big moments even when Fraser was here.

McDermott is a helluva defensive mind. The fact that the defense has been good DESPITE the volume of injuries says alot about his schemes and game plans. However, the consistent ability of teams to drive the ball on us late has cost us so many wins over the course of his time here (including the playoffs) that I woulds say him staying on as head coach requires him to find a defensive coordinator to take over 100% of the defense and him focus on head coaching things. He can be a part of game planning, but the playcalling has to 100% be on someone else.

 

[Der Jaeger]

BPA should still be a thing. I think the chances a LT is available and BPA is pretty good.

Mims will likely be in that range. He’s my front runner for the 1st pick.

I like Johnson-Powers in the 2nd. Patrick Paul or Jordan Morgan won’t be there which is why I think LT in the 1st round is a good pick.

I like Brendan Rice in the 3rd. Beane may need to trade up.

I think re-signing Dawkins could be a possibility based on how he plays next season. Let the LT intern for a year. If they re-sign Dawkins, move him to LG.

 

[Jim Bob]

BPA should still be a thing. I think the chances a LT is available and BPA is pretty good.

Mims will likely be in that range. He’s my front runner for the 1st pick.

I like Johnson-Powers in the 2nd. Patrick Paul or Jordan Morgan won’t be there which is why I think LT in the 1st round is a good pick.

I like Brendan Rice in the 3rd. Beane may need to trade up.

I think re-signing Dawkins could be a possibility based on how he plays next season. Let the LT intern for a year. If they re-sign Dawkins, move him to LG.

Given the investments they made this offseason at LG & RG, I'm not sure how likely that scenario is, though.

I definitely think they extend Dawkins. And they may feel confident enough in their medium term on the OL that an OT may not be a 1st round worthy pick for them.

The only likely Dawkins to LG scenario I could see is if they feel McGovern could play C better than Bates once Morse is done.

With both Dawkins, Brown, and Morse signed through 2024 and McGovern signed through 2025, it will be interesting to see what the Bills do there given more immediate needs elsewhere like WR, DE, and S.

 

[Husko]

BPA should still be a thing. I think the chances a LT is available and BPA is pretty good.

Mims will likely be in that range. He’s my front runner for the 1st pick.

I like Johnson-Powers in the 2nd. Patrick Paul or Jordan Morgan won’t be there which is why I think LT in the 1st round is a good pick.

I like Brendan Rice in the 3rd. Beane may need to trade up.

I think re-signing Dawkins could be a possibility based on how he plays next season. Let the LT intern for a year. If they re-sign Dawkins, move him to LG.

If they re-sign Dawkins, based on the way he's playing right now, it's going to be to franchise LT money.

Left Tackle Contracts and Salaries | Over The Cap

Ranking the top NFL Left Tackle contracts and salaries in the NFL

overthecap.com

Dawkins is better (but older) than Orlando Brown, who just inked a 16 million a year deal. I think a Dawkins extension probably looks something like 55 million over 3 years.

 

[SabresFan26]

He has a massive ego, makes poor decisions under pressure, and then tries to deflect the blame elsewhere. He is that coworker that we all hate.

He also kind of stated that the reason for the offense improving under Brady is defense driven and not removing Dorsey.

"I just think we're moving the ball better than we were before and a little bit more consistently than we were before," he said. "I think the defensive takeaways have helped, but that's when you talk about playing team ball and I think that's important."

 

[buffa dud]

He also kind of stated that the reason for the offense improving under Brady is defense driven and not removing Dorsey.

"I just think we're moving the ball better than we were before and a little bit more consistently than we were before," he said. "I think the defensive takeaways have helped, but that's when you talk about playing team ball and I think that's important."

I mean, neither of those things are wrong. The Bills have moved the ball much more effectively since Brady took over, and the turnover differential has been favorable. Had they managed the ball just a little bit better earlier in the season, we're talking about the division title. And I think McDermott understands that, and wants his players to be more accountable (which is what every fanbase should expect from their Head Coach.)

Buffalo Bills at New York Jets - September 11th, 2023 | Pro-Football-Reference.com

Buffalo Bills 16 at New York Jets 22 on September 11th, 2023 - Full team and player stats and box score

www.pro-football-reference.com

Denver Broncos at Buffalo Bills - November 13th, 2023 | Pro-Football-Reference.com

Denver Broncos 24 at Buffalo Bills 22 on November 13th, 2023 - Full team and player stats and box score

www.pro-football-reference.com

 

[buffa dud]

He has a massive ego, makes poor decisions under pressure, and then tries to deflect the blame elsewhere. He is that coworker that we all hate.

After 13 seconds, the Bills' lockerroom was on virtual lockdown. Fans were begging for a scapegoat, and McDermott was having none of it. If he was that coworker we all hate, and we all know that guy, he could have buried Frazier and no one would have thought a thing of it.

Allen had the same opportunity after the Eagles game, to bury Davis for taking a different route than what Allen had in mind. But, did you see it? Was he laying into Davis on the sidelines the same way Brady or Rogers or Manning have so many times before?

You want to see worminess?



You want instability and making poor decisions under pressure?

Brian Daboll goes off on Tyrod Taylor over huge mistake to end first half

Brian Daboll went off on Tyrod Taylor over the quarterback's poor decision at the end of the first half on Sunday night. The New York Giants were leading

larrybrownsports.com

Have fun, because Daboll was the hottest name on the market and not 24 months later the Giants are a masterclass on futility and infighting.

 

[Zman5778]

BPA should still be a thing. I think the chances a LT is available and BPA is pretty good.

BPA should absolutely still be a thing if we're picking in the high teens........but I can't see us taking a LT. Dawkins is playing super well and I think chances are far better that we re-sign him than take a replacement in the 1st round.

There's a couple of 1-tech DTs that I like in the 2nd round, but I think would be reaches in the 1st (Sweat from Texas and OSU's Williams).

The orgasmic scenario would be either Odunze, Nabers or Coleman falling to us.......but I just can't picture them falling that far (or us losing enough to get high enough).

I can't imagine that the lighter "EDGE" guys like Latu or Turner or Verse are on our radar....we typically like our DEs to be a bit bigger than they are.

So, to me, that leaves either RT or safety as the most likely to be BPA in an area of need for us (even though Brown has been good this year......we can get better there). Kinchens from Miami certainly seems like he'd be on our radar -- scheme diverse and athletic. DeJean is also diverse -- can play slot CB or safety.

Dunno. @Husko is exactly right that we need to hit a homerun with this 1st pick though.

 

[Selanne00008]

For me it's the ball catchers and ball-catching defenders. Give me a WR, then a safety. If there's no safety there I'd even take corner back. White will be toast, Elam isn't what he should be, so we need to swing yet again at a corner pick.

DE and OL we can get those late in free agency steals in my opinion. Re-sign who you think is going to explode (epenesa or Rousseau).

 

[Zman5778]

For me it's the bal catchers and ball-catching defenders. Give me a WR, then a safety. If there's no safety there I'd even take corner back. White will be toast, Elam isn't what he should be, so we need to swing yet again at a corner pick.

DE and OL we can get those late in free agency steals in my opinion. Re-sign who you think is going to explode (epenesa or Rousseau).

I think Epenesa has played his way into a bigger contract than we can afford.

I also think that we could be just fine next year at CB with Douglas, Benford and Johnson. Hell, they've been just fine the last two weeks against some pretty good WRs.

 

[Selanne00008]

I think Epenesa has played his way into a bigger contract than we can afford.

I also think that we could be just fine next year at CB with Douglas, Benford and Johnson. Hell, they've been just fine the last two weeks against some pretty good WRs.

Don't disagree with the CB comment. Perhaps we don't need to go high (hell Benford was a late 6th rounder). But we def will need depth there. With all the injuries going around

 

[buffalowing88]

I think Epenesa has played his way into a bigger contract than we can afford.

I also think that we could be just fine next year at CB with Douglas, Benford and Johnson. Hell, they've been just fine the last two weeks against some pretty good WRs.

And Dane Jackson isn't terrible as a depth guy. But yeah, Benford is rising in my view and I don't know what a CB room would look like if Tre comes back in and takes snaps away from the young guy who's on the upswing while he's pushing 30. Douglas is pretty much set as the No. 2. I don't think that's in doubt.

 

[Zman5778]

Don't disagree with the CB comment. Perhaps we don't need to go high (hell Benford was a late 6th rounder). But we def will need depth there. With all the injuries going around

Oh yeah. Definitely need some depth there. Depth on the O-line would be good too.

I'd consider using a late rounder on a punter too -- Tory Taylor from Iowa or Texas Tech's McNamara are draftable.

 

[Zman5778]

And Dane Jackson isn't terrible as a depth guy.

Agreed, but he's UFA. He's another guy who's likely priced himself out of Buffalo.

 

[sabresfan129103]

They gotta start thinking about safeties too. Not such how much Poyer and Hyde have left in the tank.

 

[Husko]

Epenesa is 25 years old and is going to knock on the door of 10 sacks in a less than 50% snaps role this year. We're either going to (A) re-sign him to a contract that makes you ill; or (B) he's going to walk and sign a contract that makes your head explode.

They gotta start thinking about safeties too. Not such how much Poyer and Hyde have left in the tank.

Hopefully they're both gone next year. Huge liabilities. If Poyer is back, hopefully it's as a third/dime safety that plays exclusively in the box.

 

[Husko]

Agreed, but he's UFA. He's another guy who's likely priced himself out of Buffalo.

Him getting a comp-pick qualifying contract elsewhere would be delightful.