2022-2023 Buffalo Bills Thread

[SDS]

7 minutes ago, JujuFish said:

I'm looking at it and I don't see what you're seeing (or I'm misunderstanding what you're saying).  Do you mean there is little to no penalty to end the contract after three years?  Because if he's under contract, there is most definitely a cap hit.

His signing bonus is amortized over the entire length of the contract. His salary is not guaranteed and can he be released at any time. 

[nfreeman]

There are almost certainly some cap consequences if they cut him after 3 years.  The question is how severe they are.  That will come out in the next couple of days.  Brand is a smart guy, so I’d guess there will be a fairly substantial cap hit if they cut him in the first 4 years but only a modest one after that.

Now he just needs to be very good to great for 4 years.  

[Norcal]

Easy yet hard at the same time

[Andrew Amerk]

Wow. 

Von Miller. 

The Bills are really going for it. 

Who is next? McCaffery and Julio Jones?
 

 

[Randall Flagg]

16 months ago Josh Allen, Cole Beasley, and Stefon Diggs led the Buffalo Bills on an epic-but-forgotten game winning drive in Glendale, AZ. Through no fault of their own, that drive was never recorded as one. As Kyler Murray flushed out left, chased by Mario Addison - a good NFL DE, but past his prime and never elite - Mario made a critical mistake. He dove at Murray when he wasn't quite in range to safely do so, and predictably, Kyler made sure he missed. The added time allowed Kyler to get his hips pointed in the right direction, which allowed the throw to be pin-point, in a place where Hopkins could make the play that only he can make. A little more patience from Mario and that throw would have necessarily been a wounded duck. 14 months later, Addison, Hughes, and a few other linemen fell into a similar trap against a man that is nearly impossible to bring down, much like Kyler, and much like their own QB.

The story was different in week 5 - they played contain and executed with painstaking patience to keep Mahomes under control and keep him from leaking closer to the line as he scrambled out wide - the coverage did its (equally difficult) job well that night, and the Bills rolled. One big fourth down play in Bills territory exemplified this (7:03 in this video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yxiOnaTUows&t=636s).

Sean McDermott's Bills teams have never had an elite finisher on the defensive line. They get a lot of pressures, and talk is made of the Bills' elite pressure rate. In a sense this holds up because the Bills are usually a nightmare for most opposing quarterbacks, who generally post terrible stats against Buffalo relative to their own baselines. But it is now a consistent pattern that this lack of finish holds the defense back when the stakes are highest, when the opposition is an elite QB in do-or-die territory.  Brandon Beane, who to this point has refrained from making an all-in type of move, understood this, and has probably talked about this with Sean for dozens of hours. They have also surely noticed that while veteran leadership is not lacking in the Bills' locker room, there aren't a lot of guys in there, if any, that can say they have been a reason a team has won it all, and here's how to do it.

The Bills have always incrementally improved under Beane and McDermott, aside from a decline from 2017 to 2018, which they explicitly told us was going to happen because of the cap situation. They promised that while that year (2018) would be painful, it was necessary and would be quick. They delivered on this promise. In 2019 they made it back to the playoffs, with the first big wins on a national stage that Bills fans had seen in decades (sealing the playoffs at 10-4 in Pittsburgh on SNF, Turkey Day game in Dallas). But they couldn't finish drives in the wild card round, their defense got gassed and fell apart, and they got their hearts ripped out in OT. So in 2020 they got better at finishing drives. But the team showed again that in critical games and moments (Hail Murray, Chiefs/Titans blowouts, and Chiefs playoff loss) they could fall apart, even though plenty of other games showed that they were slowly improving in this regard. I believe that the 2021 Bills were an improvement on the 2020 Bills, losing some absolute heartbreakers (really, what loss this past season wasn't gut-wrenching even by NFL loss standards?) but being as good as the Chiefs for 60 minutes of an NFL playoff game in their barn, versus getting blown out in the same circumstance the year before.

Despite this year over year improvement, we endured another meltdown and heart break. While I place the blame for 13 seconds squarely on the coaching staff (Levi stood where he was told to stand), the Chiefs only punted twice, and to win the game the Bills needed to send them off the field at least one other time for a punt or a field goal rather than a touchdown. Some of those 3rd down plays that could have been made involved subpar finishing and patience from a line that did get good pressure most of the night. Some could have been made by having Tre on the field as well. Sean and Beane decided that now is the time to make sure something like that does not happen again, and that now is the time to make that "all in" move.

When I think of Von Miller, I think that I have maybe seen 2 better defensive linemen over the last 20 years, and that number might be smaller.

I think of artistry - a man who has perfected his craft to the point of ruthless efficiency, but at the same time isn't robotic. Silky smooth, the ability to vanish and reappear on the other side of a confused tackle. Choosing his moves from a bottomless toolbox based on an understanding of schemes and scenarios that can only be accrued through years of experience. 

I think of a guy that holds a pass rush boot camp in the summer on his own accord because he enjoys teaching what he has learned and genuinely wants to leave the position and the game in a better place than it was when he arrived. I think of what this means for Gregory Rousseau, Boogie, and AJ. 

I think of how he reminds me of Allen - he is incredibly goofy and fun to be around, but when it's go time, no mortal will stop him. This man is the archetype of what Beane and McDermott look for in players, on and off the field.

I think that if Von Miller was a Bill on January 23rd, 2022, the Bills are probably hosting the season opener on Thursday, September 8th, 2022.

I think about the long-standing missing piece of Sean McDermott's defense, and how we probably just filled it with an all-time great. I think about Tre White locking his half of the field down, and Poyer and Hyde licking their lips as QBs flail their arms in a panicked frenzy, hearing increasingly loud footsteps.

I think about how I need to savor how far the Bills have come, and how rare this type of feeling and anticipation is for any sports franchise. This is what I always dreamed about when I was a kid watching the Bills in 2005, 2016, all the years in between.

When I think of Von Miller and the 2022 Buffalo Bills, I find unwavering belief that at long last, Buffalo has its team. THE team. You know the one I'm talking about.

Of course, a lot will happen between now and then, and even the best teams need a healthy dose of luck. Time will tell if these thoughts pan out. To me it seems like Miller took a while to get into a groove last year, coming off the missed 2020 season. This is typical for ACL injuries. His play ramped up and he finished the year with 9 sacks in his last 8 games, including 4 in the playoffs and 2 in the super bowl. He blows up so many other plays that don't find their way onto the stat sheet. He is not quite peak Von Miller, but there is no question that he is still elite and still has a lot to give. The Bills will have him on a reasonable pitch count, and he will know what to do as the calendar turns to January. So will Josh Allen, Stefon Diggs, Gabriel f'n Davis, Micah Hyde, and so many others.

I'm still floating. 

LFG BILLS 

Edited March 17, 2022 by Randall Flagg

[Andrew Amerk]

14 minutes ago, Randall Flagg said:

16 months ago Josh Allen, Cole Beasley, and Stefon Diggs led the Buffalo Bills on an epic-but-forgotten game winning drive in Glendale, AZ. Through no fault of their own, that drive was never recorded as one. As Kyler Murray flushed out left, chased by Mario Addison - a good NFL DE, but past his prime and never elite - Mario made a critical mistake. He dove at Murray when he wasn't quite in range to safely do so, and predictably, Kyler made sure he missed. The added time allowed Kyler to get his hips pointed in the right direction, which allowed the throw to be pin-point, in a place where Hopkins could make the play that only he can make. A little more patience from Mario and that throw would have necessarily been a wounded duck. 14 months later, Addison, Hughes, and a few other linemen fell into a similar trap against a man that is nearly impossible to bring down, much like Kyler, and much like their own QB.

The story was different in week 5 - they played contain and executed with painstaking patience to keep Mahomes under control and keep him from leaking closer to the line as he scrambled out wide - the coverage did its (equally difficult) job well that night, and the Bills rolled. One big fourth down play in Bills territory exemplified this (7:03 in this video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yxiOnaTUows&t=636s).

Sean McDermott's Bills team has never had that elite finisher on the defensive line. They get a lot of pressures, and talk is made of the Bills' elite pressure rate. In a sense this holds up because the Bills are usually a nightmare for most opposing quarterbacks, who generally post terrible stats against Buffalo relative to their own baselines. But it is now a consistent pattern that this lack of finish holds the defense back when the stakes are highest, when the opposition is an elite QB in do-or-die territory.  Brandon Beane, who to this point has refrained from making an all-in type of move, understood this, and has probably talked about this with Sean for dozens of hours. They have also surely noticed that while veteran leadership is not lacking in the Bills' locker room, there aren't a lot of guys in there, if any, that can say they have been a reason a team has won it all, and here's how to do it.

 

The Bills have always incrementally improved under Beane and McDermott, aside from a decline from 2017 to 2018, which they explicitly told us was going to happen because of the cap situation. They promised that while that year (2018) would be painful, it was necessary and would be quick. They delivered on this promise. In 2019 they made it back to the playoffs, with the first big wins on a national stage that Bills fans had seen in decades (sealing the playoffs at 10-4 in Pittsburgh on SNF, Turkey Day game in Dallas). But they couldn't finish drives in the wild card round, their defense got gassed and fell apart, and they got their hearts ripped out in OT. So in 2020 they got better at finishing drives. But the team showed again that in critical games and moments (Hail Murray, Chiefs/Titans blowouts, and Chiefs playoff loss) they could fall apart, even though plenty of other games showed that they were slowly improving in this regard. I believe that the 2021 Bills were an improvement on the 2020 Bills, losing some absolute heartbreakers (really, what loss this past season wasn't gut-wrenching even by NFL loss standards?) but being as good as the Chiefs for 60 minutes of an NFL playoff game in their barn, versus getting blown out in the same circumstance the year before.

Despite this year over year improvement, we endured another meltdown and heart break. While I place the blame for 13 seconds squarely on the coaching staff (Levi stood where he was told to stand), the Chiefs only punted twice, and like I alluded to above, they should have been sent off the field at least one other time for a punt or a field goal rather than a touchdown. Some of those 3rd down plays that could have been made included subpar finishing from a line that did get good pressure most of the night. Some could have been made by having Tre on the field as well. Sean and Beane decided that now is the time to make sure something like that does not happen again, and that now is the time to make that "all in" move.

When I think of Von Miller, I think that I have maybe seen 2 better defensive linemen over the last 20 years, and that number might be smaller.

I think of artistry - a man who has perfected his craft to the point of ruthless efficiency, but at the same time isn't robotic. Silky smooth, the ability to vanish and reappear on the other side of a confused tackle. Choosing his moves from a bottomless toolbox based on an understanding of schemes and scenarios that can only be accrued through years of experience. 

I think of a guy that holds a pass rush boot camp in the summer on his own accord because he enjoys teaching what he has learned and genuinely wants to leave the position and the game in a better place than it was when he arrived. I think of what this means for Gregory Rousseau, Boogie, and AJ. 

I think of how he reminds me of Allen - he is incredibly goofy and fun to be around, but when it's go time, no mortal will stop him. This man is the archetype of what Beane and McDermott look for in players, on and off the field.

I think that if Von Miller was a Bill on January 23rd, 2022, the Bills are probably hosting the season opener on Thursday, September 8th, 2022.

I think about the long-standing missing piece of Sean McDermott's defense, and how we probably just filled it with an all-time great. I think about Tre White locking his half of the field down, and Poyer and Hyde licking their lips as QBs ***** their arms in a panicked frenzy, hearing increasingly loud footsteps.

I think about how I need to savor how far the Bills have come, and how rare this type of feeling and anticipation is for any sports franchise. This is what I always dreamed about when I was a kid watching the Bills in 2005, 2016, all the years in between.

When I think of Von Miller and the 2022 Buffalo Bills, I find myself with a calm, firm belief that at long last, Buffalo has its team. THE team. You know the one I'm talking about.

Of course, a lot will happen between now and then, and even the best teams need a healthy dose of luck. Time will tell if these thoughts pan out. To me it seems like Miller took a while to get into a groove last year, coming off the missed 2020 season. This is typical for ACL injuries. His play ramped up and he finished the year with 9 sacks in his last 8 games, including 4 in the playoffs and 2 in the super bowl. He blows up so many other plays that don't find their way onto the stat sheet. He is not quite peak Von Miller, but there is no question that he is still elite and still has a lot to give. The Bills will have him on a reasonable pitch count, and he will know what to do as the calendar turns to January. So Josh Allen, Stefon Diggs, Gabriel f'n Davis, Micah Hyde, and so many others.

I'm still floating. 

LFG BILLS 

Rarely do we get to witness a post of this depth and magnitude. 

Thank you for your service. 

[nfreeman]

18 minutes ago, Randall Flagg said:

16 months ago Josh Allen, Cole Beasley, and Stefon Diggs led the Buffalo Bills on an epic-but-forgotten game winning drive in Glendale, AZ. Through no fault of their own, that drive was never recorded as one. As Kyler Murray flushed out left, chased by Mario Addison - a good NFL DE, but past his prime and never elite - Mario made a critical mistake. He dove at Murray when he wasn't quite in range to safely do so, and predictably, Kyler made sure he missed. The added time allowed Kyler to get his hips pointed in the right direction, which allowed the throw to be pin-point, in a place where Hopkins could make the play that only he can make. A little more patience from Mario and that throw would have necessarily been a wounded duck. 14 months later, Addison, Hughes, and a few other linemen fell into a similar trap against a man that is nearly impossible to bring down, much like Kyler, and much like their own QB.

The story was different in week 5 - they played contain and executed with painstaking patience to keep Mahomes under control and keep him from leaking closer to the line as he scrambled out wide - the coverage did its (equally difficult) job well that night, and the Bills rolled. One big fourth down play in Bills territory exemplified this (7:03 in this video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yxiOnaTUows&t=636s).

Sean McDermott's Bills teams have never had an elite finisher on the defensive line. They get a lot of pressures, and talk is made of the Bills' elite pressure rate. In a sense this holds up because the Bills are usually a nightmare for most opposing quarterbacks, who generally post terrible stats against Buffalo relative to their own baselines. But it is now a consistent pattern that this lack of finish holds the defense back when the stakes are highest, when the opposition is an elite QB in do-or-die territory.  Brandon Beane, who to this point has refrained from making an all-in type of move, understood this, and has probably talked about this with Sean for dozens of hours. They have also surely noticed that while veteran leadership is not lacking in the Bills' locker room, there aren't a lot of guys in there, if any, that can say they have been a reason a team has won it all, and here's how to do it.

The Bills have always incrementally improved under Beane and McDermott, aside from a decline from 2017 to 2018, which they explicitly told us was going to happen because of the cap situation. They promised that while that year (2018) would be painful, it was necessary and would be quick. They delivered on this promise. In 2019 they made it back to the playoffs, with the first big wins on a national stage that Bills fans had seen in decades (sealing the playoffs at 10-4 in Pittsburgh on SNF, Turkey Day game in Dallas). But they couldn't finish drives in the wild card round, their defense got gassed and fell apart, and they got their hearts ripped out in OT. So in 2020 they got better at finishing drives. But the team showed again that in critical games and moments (Hail Murray, Chiefs/Titans blowouts, and Chiefs playoff loss) they could fall apart, even though plenty of other games showed that they were slowly improving in this regard. I believe that the 2021 Bills were an improvement on the 2020 Bills, losing some absolute heartbreakers (really, what loss this past season wasn't gut-wrenching even by NFL loss standards?) but being as good as the Chiefs for 60 minutes of an NFL playoff game in their barn, versus getting blown out in the same circumstance the year before.

Despite this year over year improvement, we endured another meltdown and heart break. While I place the blame for 13 seconds squarely on the coaching staff (Levi stood where he was told to stand), the Chiefs only punted twice, and to win the game the Bills needed to send them off the field at least one other time for a punt or a field goal rather than a touchdown. Some of those 3rd down plays that could have been made involved subpar finishing and patience from a line that did get good pressure most of the night. Some could have been made by having Tre on the field as well. Sean and Beane decided that now is the time to make sure something like that does not happen again, and that now is the time to make that "all in" move.

When I think of Von Miller, I think that I have maybe seen 2 better defensive linemen over the last 20 years, and that number might be smaller.

I think of artistry - a man who has perfected his craft to the point of ruthless efficiency, but at the same time isn't robotic. Silky smooth, the ability to vanish and reappear on the other side of a confused tackle. Choosing his moves from a bottomless toolbox based on an understanding of schemes and scenarios that can only be accrued through years of experience. 

I think of a guy that holds a pass rush boot camp in the summer on his own accord because he enjoys teaching what he has learned and genuinely wants to leave the position and the game in a better place than it was when he arrived. I think of what this means for Gregory Rousseau, Boogie, and AJ. 

I think of how he reminds me of Allen - he is incredibly goofy and fun to be around, but when it's go time, no mortal will stop him. This man is the archetype of what Beane and McDermott look for in players, on and off the field.

I think that if Von Miller was a Bill on January 23rd, 2022, the Bills are probably hosting the season opener on Thursday, September 8th, 2022.

I think about the long-standing missing piece of Sean McDermott's defense, and how we probably just filled it with an all-time great. I think about Tre White locking his half of the field down, and Poyer and Hyde licking their lips as QBs flail their arms in a panicked frenzy, hearing increasingly loud footsteps.

I think about how I need to savor how far the Bills have come, and how rare this type of feeling and anticipation is for any sports franchise. This is what I always dreamed about when I was a kid watching the Bills in 2005, 2016, all the years in between.

When I think of Von Miller and the 2022 Buffalo Bills, I find unwavering belief that at long last, Buffalo has its team. THE team. You know the one I'm talking about.

Of course, a lot will happen between now and then, and even the best teams need a healthy dose of luck. Time will tell if these thoughts pan out. To me it seems like Miller took a while to get into a groove last year, coming off the missed 2020 season. This is typical for ACL injuries. His play ramped up and he finished the year with 9 sacks in his last 8 games, including 4 in the playoffs and 2 in the super bowl. He blows up so many other plays that don't find their way onto the stat sheet. He is not quite peak Von Miller, but there is no question that he is still elite and still has a lot to give. The Bills will have him on a reasonable pitch count, and he will know what to do as the calendar turns to January. So will Josh Allen, Stefon Diggs, Gabriel f'n Davis, Micah Hyde, and so many others.

I'm still floating. 

LFG BILLS 

Awesome.

[PASabreFan]

Very obvious, but still...

[JohnC]

11 hours ago, Hank said:

Do you think NFL contracts are guaranteed like NHL contracts?  We dont know what the actual guaranteed money is yet, but Miller will not be on the roster for six years and he won't be paid 120M. 

No they are not guaranteed like NHL, NBA and MLB contracts. However, the bonus amount is guaranteed. The best way to value the contract is to look at the bonus and then year to year contract. 

[That Aud Smell]

10 hours ago, nfreeman said:

There are almost certainly some cap consequences if they cut him after 3 years.  The question is how severe they are.  

I think maybe that's why it's nominally a 6-year deal? Maybe that allows dead money to be spread out further over time?

This is essentially a three year deal for $51.5M. And that is just about exactly what Chandler Jones got.

I would not expect Miller to be on the team after that third year. By that time, they'll have renamed several local landmarks for him, including that stretch of Delaware Avenue where he climbed down off the Super Bowl parade float and danced with that grandma who was holding a sign with his name written in blue and red sparkle paint.

[LGR4GM]

Bills need corner help now and I'd still want an o lineman

[inkman]

17 minutes ago, LGR4GM said:

Bills need corner help now and I'd still want an o lineman

I think they may address both in the draft 

[LGR4GM]

 

[GASabresIUFAN]

48 minutes ago, LGR4GM said:

Bills need corner help now and I'd still want an o lineman

 

30 minutes ago, inkman said:

I think they may address both in the draft 

I think they could use a couple of linebackers, a Safety and a WR now as well.

So, Clemson's Booth (CB) in the 1st, UGA's Quay Walker (LB) in the 2nd, Bama's Metchie (WR ) in the 3rd and UGA's Justin Shaffer (OL) in the 4th.

Edited March 17, 2022 by GASabresIUFAN

[Hank]

I hope they take the center from Iowa. 

[inkman]

45 minutes ago, Hank said:

I hope they take the center from Iowa. 

Morse just signed an extension 

[Hank]

2 hours ago, inkman said:

Morse just signed an extension 

I know, but I think that Iowa kid is going to be special. Can't have too many OL. 

[LGR4GM]

 

[GASabresIUFAN]

How many D Linemen do they have now? Basham, Epenesa, Rousseau, DaQuan Jones, Ed Oliver, Lotulelei, Settle, Miller & Phillips.

[GASabresIUFAN]

What do the Bills at this point.

As I mentioned above the Bills now have 9 DE/DT

1 QB, 2 RBs, only 6 OL (Morse, Brown, Doyle, Ford, Dawkins and Safford), 4 WR (Davis, Diggs, McKenzie and Kumerow), 3 TE (Sweeney, Knox and Howard), 5 specialists (Haack (P), Ferguson (LS), Stevenson (KR), Gilliam (FB) & Bass (PK), 

They actually have more CB and S then a thoughts.  While, Poyer, and Hyde, but also Dane Jackson, Taron Johnson, Cam Lewis, Siran Heal, Jaquan Johnson and Damar Hamlin (who I don't remember ever playing).  The Bills website list 5 LBs (Milano, Andrew Smith, Matakevich, Dodson, and Edmunds

That 44 players so far?  What else do they need.  I figure at least 2 more OL, a QB, a RB, at least one more WR, better depth at LB and a starting CB.

[GASabresIUFAN]

Make that 10 DL.  Shaq Lawson re-signing with the Bills.

 

[Claude Balls]

The Bills will not lose a game this season when the other team only scores 9 points. They could go undefeated scoring 24 points per game with that defense.

[LGR4GM]

31 minutes ago, GASabresIUFAN said:

Make that 10 DL.  Shaq Lawson re-signing with the Bills.

 

We're drafting a corner, o line,  or wr.

[That Aud Smell]

Will drafting a corner help the team (enough) in 2022-2023?

[inkman]

Just now, That Aud Smell said:

Will drafting a corner help the team (enough) in 2022-2023?

In the first round?  Unless he’s a complete bust which is always possible. Rookie CB usually transition well.  Tre was good immediately.