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Oct 18, 2015; Orchard Park, NY, USA; (Editors note: Caption correction) Buffalo Bills owners Kim Pegula (left) and Terry Pegula on the field before the game against the Cincinnati Bengals at Ralph Wilson Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kevin Hoffman-USA TODAY Sports
With the Buffalo Bills’ playoff chances pretty much at zero, fans have a lot of questions that need answers. In Buffalo, fans are done waiting.
When the 2016 season began, fans of the Buffalo Bills were almost certain this would be the year our playoff drought was no longer a drought.
Just three months later, fans — and the entire Buffalo Bills‘ organization — are sitting back wondering where the season went sour. With the team now at 6-7 on the season with three games remaining, the Bills need a miracle if they want to see any playoff time.
Looking around, fans aren’t even worried about our 2% chance at making playoffs — according to FiveThirtyEight. Instead, fans have already ruled their team out and are ready to move on to the offseason. Although I’m not one for giving up too early, it is time to start asking questions about the future of this team — unfortunately.
This time around, though, fans aren’t settling for the false hope that “next season is the year.” After 17 years — granted a miracle doesn’t happen — fans are just about done with the disappointment year in and year out. This city wants nothing more than a simple playoff game.
So, why is that so hard to achieve?
Other than the fact that there are 31 other teams fighting for that same thing, it’s clear that the Buffalo Bills just aren’t getting it done on the field — especially when we need it the most. Even though this season has been one of the most exciting seasons this team has had in a long time, it wasn’t enough to please the fans.
Now, there’s a lot of people to blame for this season and the most obvious have been the GM, the head coach and the quarterback. When things go sour, these are the people everyone will turn to. I’m here to say don’t even waste your time placing the blame on anyone.
Instead, start asking questions and demanding answers. If you’re unsure what questions need to be asked, that’s where BuffaLowDown comes into play. In this slide, we will go through the most important questions every Bills’ fan should be asking right now and the kind of answers we are hoping for.
We start with the GM, Doug Whaley.
Oct 18, 2015; Orchard Park, NY, USA; (Editors note: Caption correction) Buffalo Bills owner Terry Pegula (left) speaks with general manager Doug Whaley on the field before the game against the Cincinnati Bengals at Ralph Wilson Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kevin Hoffman-USA TODAY Sports
Is General Manager Doug Whaley to blame for the Buffalo Bills’ lost season?
When Doug Whaley joined the Buffalo Bills in 2010, we knew we were getting a man that knew his football — especially on the defensive side of the ball. For the next three years, he worked alongside Buddy Nix — GM of the time — and assisted in pretty much all administrative duties.
In 2013, Nix stepped down as general manager and just three days later, Whaley was our new GM. In the role, Whaley is expected to have the best grasp on what this team is trying to achieve and what they need to get there.
Since then, Whaley has definitely made some excellent decisions, both in the draft and free agency. However, he has also had some bad calls — although that’s pretty much true with any general manager.
A lot of players that currently play for the Buffalo Bills were drafted since Doug Whaley got promoted with Buffalo. The list includes:
E.J. Manuel, Robert Woods, Marquise Goodwin, Chris Gragg, Seantrel Henderson, Preston Brown, Sammy Watkins, Ronald Darby, Shaq Lawson, Reggie Ragland, Adolphus Washington, Cardale Jones, Jonathan Williams, Kolby Listenbee and Kevon Seymour
His first-round draft picks have been iffy, with the biggest mistake being E.J. Manuel. Sammy Watkins is a great receiver, but has struggled with injuries. Shaq Lawson missed the first half of this season with injury.
Whaley’s best picks have mostly come in the second and third rounds, where the Bills drafted Ronald Darby, John Miller, Preston Brown, Robert Woods, Kiko Alonso, Marquise Goodwin, Reggie Ragland and Adolphus Washington.
The free agency period had been rather shaky with Whaley, but it has been getting better every year. His first few seasons as GM didn’t really see any good free-agent signings that have turned out to be big contributors in Buffalo. Mario Williams was a huge mistake, same with Kyle Orton, Percy Harvin, Charles Clay (too much money), Reggie Bush and Tyrod Taylor (to a degree) also being questionable decisions.
He did land gold with LeSean McCoy, Mike Gillislee, Lorenzo Alexander, Richie Incognito, Zach Brown and Jerry Hughes — all of which have had great seasons for Buffalo this year.
When your team is going down the drain, it’s easy to point the finger at the GM. On the other hand, one of the keys to a successful team — long-term — is continuity with ownership and your GM. In my opinion, Doug Whaley has done as good of a job as any other GM could in Buffalo.
He’s had some spectacular decisions, some alright ones and some terrible ones, but so has every other GM in this league. The reality is, he has given the Buffalo Bills every chance to make the playoffs.
As it stands right now, it seems as though Doug Whaley isn’t seeing eye to eye with Rex Ryan and it is causing some differences to be made. That’s not necessarily a bad thing, but it depends on how the two are handling it. It’s important to listen to each other’s differences and then come together to make it work.
On a team where (for the most part) the GM supplies the personnel and the coaches orchestrate them accordingly, your finger shouldn’t be pointed at the person putting together a talented team — which is what Doug Whaley has done.
That leads me to the next question.
Jan 14, 2015; Orchard Park, NY, USA; Buffalo Bills head coach Rex Ryan speaks as owner Terry Pagula looks on during a press conference at ADPRO Sports Training Center. Mandatory Credit: Kevin Hoffman-USA TODAY Sports
Will Rex Ryan continue to coach the Buffalo Bills after this season?
Talk to any fan of the Buffalo Bills right now and they will tell you Rex Ryan would’ve been fired weeks ago, if they were the ones making the decisions. The reasons are definitely valid and it’s very possible that he isn’t the right fit in Buffalo.
At the same time, he has done some great things for this team and has brought excitement to a city that was in dire need of it. Not to mention, he very well could be the right fit for this team — think about all of our injured players that will return next year and what we missed this season having them out.
Plus, we could definitely be in a much worse scenario than the one we are in. Rex Ryan brought us to 8-8 last season and has a good shot at doing it again this season. Considering the injuries, we could’ve easily been in the playoffs with a healthy squad. Look around at the teams in the bottom of the standings and their current situations.
New York Jets – Todd Bowles is their head coach with a 14-15 record in 2 seasons.
Chicago Bears – John Fox is their head coach with a 9-20 record in 2 seasons.
Jacksonville Jaguars – Gus Bradley is their head coach with a 14-47 record in 4 seasons.
San Francisco 49ers – Chip Kelly is their head coach with a 1-12 record in his first season.
Cleveland Browns – Hue Jackson is their head coach with an 0-13 record in his first season.
These are all very capable head coaches and great minds in the NFL, but aren’t getting it done this season. Some were hired the same year the Bills hired Rex Ryan and some are just starting. On paper, these teams have rosters that can make the playoffs.
These teams have also had some of their best players or most reliable players injured this season. Looking at the Bills, it’s fair to say the injuries we’ve dealt with this season are far worse than any of these teams. Yet, Rex Ryan has still put his team in a better position than any of these teams listed above. Keep in mind, these are the 5 worst teams in the league.
The point I’m trying to make, is it’s hard to judge a season when you endure the amount of injuries that Buffalo has. It’s not an excuse, it’s just reality. There’s a reason some players are named starters and some are backups — the starters put your team in the best position to win. With that being said, we would look like a much different team if we were 100% healthy.
When injuries pile up, the coaches are forced to tweak their gameplan. With the amount of tweaking Rex Ryan has had to do this season, I would expect us to be in a much worse position.
In my opinion, we need to keep Rex Ryan for at least one more year. Give him another shot at running a healthy team. I promise, a difference will be seen if we have our best guys out there at 100%. Would you rather have Jeff Fisher come in, who just got done with a 5-year stint with the Rams? He went 31-45 with not one single winning season.
For all we know, continuity is the thing this team has been lacking. We’ve seen a lot of head coaches since we last missed the playoffs and a lot of 7-9 or 6-10 seasons. In fact, we’ve only had one winning season since 2004 — with Mike Mularkey. Last season, Rex’s 8-8 record with the team was the best since that 2004 season.
We’ve finally found a coach that got us out of the losing season stage, although it was an 8-8 record. At the same time, this is the type of coach that can become more dangerous with more time. We’re all open to our own opinions and mine is that we should keep Rex Ryan next season.
If it goes sour, then we make the change.
I know a lot of you are done with Rex Ryan, but I’m not writing him off just yet. He needs to sit down with Pegula, Whaley and Brandon, set aside their differences and figure out how to change the culture of this team.
Dec 4, 2016; Oakland, CA, USA; Buffalo Bills quarterback Tyrod Taylor (5) throws a pass against the Oakland Raiders during a NFL football game at Oakland Coliseum. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports
Some people think Tyrod Taylor has hit his ceiling, some think he just needs more/better options at receiver.
When talking about Tyrod Taylor‘s future with the Buffalo Bills, there is A LOT to consider. There’s no doubt that it will be a tough and risky decision either way for the Bills’ organization, but I have faith that our team will make the right move in the end.
Let’s go through the major factors that will play a part in this decision.
First and foremost, his performance this season will say a lot and before you throw out the “Taylor sucks” comments, hear me out. In his 27 games as a Buffalo Bills‘ starter, Tyrod has shown some very good qualities and some very bad qualities.
There’s no hiding from the fact that he is the most mobile quarterback in the league and he has shown that with his 1,039 rushing yards, 10 rushing touchdowns and a 5.8 yards per carry average in those 27 games. He’s a big reason we have the No. 1 rushing attack in the league — for two straight years — and you can’t forget that he has scored 5 rushing touchdowns in the past seven games.
With that being said, the thing he is lacking is the most important quality in a quarterback — passing. We know Taylor can throw the ball and find his receivers, it’s the inconsistency that’s the problem here. In my opinion, a lot of that can be contributed to the lack of chemistry with his receivers — due to all of the injuries and constant swapping of rotations. It’s hard to make those major adjustments every week and for a young quarterback, it takes time to become a Tom Brady that can make any receiver look good.
His 2,520 yards, 13 touchdowns and 6.8 yards per pass attempt are definitely not up to company standards and he will need to really boost those numbers up these next three games if he wants to stick around. With that being said, there’s one area where he is very promising in and that is taking care of the ball. In 27 starts, Tyrod Taylor has thrown 12 interceptions. There have been 11 quarterbacks that have thrown at least 12 interceptions this season alone. Among those names: Philip Rivers, Drew Brees, Carson Palmer, Big Ben and even the man Tyrod played under in Baltimore, Joe Flacco.
It’s easily a trait that the organization won’t want to let go of, unless they find someone with the same quality. I’m not sure they can find that, though, so that’s one point to Taylor.
The next factor is his contract. For lack of better words, he’s owed a boatload of money next season if he remains on the Buffalo Bills‘ roster. If Buffalo is ready to pay up, they need to be 100% sure that he will be worth it and need to be behind him 100%. That’s $27.5 million on the line and when you think about the possibilities with that money, Taylor needs to be more worth it.
Again, I think a lot of that will be based on his production over these next three games vs. the Browns, Dolphins and Jets. If he gain enough trust back from the front office, then he could suit up for this team next season. With an offseason to put in hard work, a healthy and boosted receiving corps and more accurate throws, Tyrod could be dangerous next season.
We will see how these next three games play out. With a solid end to the season, it’s possible he stays. With more mediocre play, the front office might be ready to move on.
That brings us to the next question.
Nov 23, 2015; Foxborough, MA, USA; Buffalo Bills head coach Rex Ryan gives a hug to Buffalo Bills quarterback Tyrod Taylor (5) before their game against the New England Patriots at Gillette Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Winslow Townson-USA TODAY Sports
At this point, these last three games are must-win for the Buffalo Bills. If they don’t win out, it’s possible we see some changes for this team.
Take it from Sammy Watkins himself:
“I know questions are going to be asked about Rex,” said Watkins on Wednesday. “That’s not my focus. I know if we win out there’s a possibility that he stays so that’s the goal that we’re pushing for. That’s the goal.”
When talking about a head coach, you want to find one that the players like and have respect for. If you ask any Bills’ player their thoughts on Rex, they want nothing more than to see him stay with the team. They also know that they have to win to make that happen.
That’s the motivation these guys are bringing these next three games — the fear of more changes. So, how do the Bills finish with a 9-7 record this year? Let’s go game by game.
Week 15 vs. Cleveland Browns
Although it might not happen immediately, a loss to the Cleveland Browns on Sunday will hurt Rex Ryan’s chances of staying with the Bills more than anything else. Not only are the Browns winless and the Bills favored to win, but we will have one of our healthiest rosters to date.
Two big names are a concern on this week’s injury report: Cordy Glenn and Kyle Williams. Both are suffering from back injuries, although Glenn is listed as doubtful and Williams is questionable. Ultimately, Glenn will likely sit out vs. Cleveland and Cyrus Kouandjio will fill in his spot. Williams will likely play, but will be limited.
Sammy Watkins, Charles Clay and Zach Brown are also questionable, but expected to play.
That takes away a big part of our offensive line and defensive line, which isn’t good. With the lack of a pass block, Tyrod will likely struggle to throw the ball. However, he will be forced to run and scramble like usual. If the Bills want to win, they need to run the ball effectively and let the passing game work itself out.
Most of all, we need to get in the red zone and score. We’ve seen too many punts and wasted possessions. Making it worse, a lot of our wasted possessions would only last a minute or so — to which we would allow the opposing offense to respond with a long drive. Moral of the story, control the tempo of the game, don’t let the game control you.
All of that set aside, the Browns are 0-13 and will likely stay winless as they move to 0-14. The Bills have too much at stake, whereas the Browns have nothing.
Week 16 vs. Miami Dolphins
The Buffalo Bills are desperate for revenge against their divisional rival. With a 1-3 record this year in the AFC East, it’s going to be important for Rex Ryan to lead his team to 3-3 on the year.
Earlier in the season, Buffalo lost to Miami in Week 7 with a tight score of 28-25. After winning four straight, the loss began a three-game losing streak before the Bills’ bye week. Basically, it was the game that started this hot mess we stand in right now. Now, Buffalo has to avoid another three-game losing streak.
The Dolphins have won 7 of their last 8 games, while the Bills have only won 2 of their last 7 games. The Dolphins still have a good chance at making the playoffs this season, but a loss to the Bills would hurt those chances. Not that it needs to be said at this point, but it’s a must-win game for both teams — so the stakes will be high.
In order to pull off the W against the Dolphins, the Bills will need to stop Jay Ajayi, cause Matt Moore to turn the ball over, capitalize on turnovers, move the ball and have a balanced offensive attack.
The last time these two teams met, Jay Ajayi rushed for 214 yards on 28 carries and added one touchdown. The Bills’ defense didn’t cause any turnovers — including fumbles — and allowed a 66-yard touchdown catch by Kenny Stills. They also finished with just one sack on the day, from Lorenzo Alexander.
On offense, Taylor finished with 221 yards with one TD and no interceptions, adding 35 yards rushing and one rushing touchdown. The problem was Taylor lead the team in rushing, with Gillislee finishing with 20 yards and McCoy with just 11 yards.
If we can take care of those issues on both offense and defense, we can beat the Dolphins and hurt their playoff chances.
Week 17 vs. New York Jets
The Buffalo Bills will finish their season on the road vs. the New York Jets, a team they haven’t seen since Week 2. If you don’t recall, it was a very disappointing night for the Bills that included Ryan Fitzpatrick completely lighting up our defense.
Assuming the Bills beat the Browns and Dolphins, a win vs. the Jets could be Rex Ryan’s stamp to continue coaching the team next season. Barring Tyrod Taylor has two good games in a row, it could also be the same for him.
This game will be the second divisional rival game in a row and will allow Rex Ryan the chance to finish the season 3-3 in Buffalo’s division. That looks a lot better than 2-4 or 1-5.
In order to take out the Jets to end our season, we will have to be in tip-top shape on the defensive side of the ball and not allow the Jets’ rushing or passing to light us up. In addition, Tyrod Taylor will have to have his best game since joining this team and McCoy can help make it an easier day for him with timely runs.
It was a gruesome 37-31 defeat in that Week 2 game that basically “woke up” the Buffalo Bills, who would go one a four-game winning streak following that game. Taylor had one of this best games this season, finishing with 297 yards, 3 TD and just one INT. McCoy finished with just 59 yards.
The bills’ defense was the real disappointment, though. Not only did Fitzpatrick finish with 374 yards and one TD, but two different receivers — Decker and Marshall — finished above the 100-yard mark. Another receiver — Enunwa — finished with 92 yards.
To make matters worse, the 31-year-old Matt Forte finished with 11 yards on 30 carries and 3 TD rushing.
We need to finish this season with a 9-7 record or else we might see a much different team next season.
Let’s move on to the next question that needs to be answered.
Aug 9, 2015; Canton, OH, USA; Bill Polian is introduced at the 2015 Hall of Fame game at Tom Benson Hall of Fame Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Andrew Weber-USA TODAY Sports
For the past few years, the Buffalo Bills have pondered getting a ‘football czar’ to fix their situation.
For those of you that aren’t aware of what a football czar is exactly, it’s someone that the owner of a team brings in to help fix their problems. They report directly to the owner and reign over the GM and the head coach, despite it not being an ‘official title.’
Basically, it’s the owner putting extra money towards fixing their team. Looking at the Buffalo Bills‘ current situation, it might not be a bad idea.
Bringing in a football czar has been in conversation for several years — really since Terry and Kim Pegula bought the Buffalo Bills in 2014. At the end of last season, and even the end of the season before that, the possibility of this addition has been brought up, but never materialized.
At first, Hall-of-Famer Bill Polian’s name came up as a possible fit for the position. It would make sense, given his football smarts and respect in this league, but he has personally shut down that possibility. Despite him being the best fit for that position and it being a move that Buffalo Bills‘ fan would deem as ideal, it’s not going to happen.
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That doesn’t mean we won’t possibly see a football czar in Buffalo, though. There are plenty of great football minds that could fix this team and some that can do it rather quickly. Is it a good idea to go that route? Keep in mind, the Buffalo Bills have one of the largest staffs in the NFL and the more it grows, the more differences and conflicting views we will hear about in this organization.
With that being said, I believe it would be a good move for Terry and Kim Pegula to bring in someone that knows how to fix things. When you hear that your head coach and GM aren’t seeing eye to eye, but at the same time feel like you have two capable guys in those positions, then a football czar is usually the easy solution.
Bringing in someone from the outside to evaluate your team and make suggestions accordingly will bring a logical and realistic solution to this team’s problems. Sometimes the head coach and GM become too infatuated with their personal preferences and it tends to get in the way of what’s best for the team.
Not to mention, Terry Pegula (owner) is also the owner of the Buffalo Sabres and Russ Brandon (president) is also the President of the Buffalo Sabres. These two guys have their hands full and need to find a better way of managing both teams and changing the culture for both the Sabres and Bills.
With that being said, who would make a good football czar for Buffalo? First off, they would need to find someone that is not only a football wizard, but someone who knows what we currently have, the direction we are headed and also the expectations set forth by Pegula, Brandon and Whaley. Lastly, it would be important for them to find someone with a big personality in the NFL and someone that fans will be excited to bring to Buffalo.
If we end up keeping our GM, head coach and quarterback, it would have to be someone that could bridge the gap between the three.
Remember when Pegula and Bills’ ownership met with Tom Coughlin last spring? Speculation quickly began that he was talking to them with the possibility of ousting Rex Ryan as head coach. Coughlin quickly dispelled those rumors. However, he didn’t deny the possibility ofa consulting or czar opportunity. In fact, this is how Coughlin described the meeting:
“It was pretty good when we met and talked. I actually think they wanted me to do a lot of things. Maybe sit next to the owner in the press box, tell him what I thought about what was good and what was bad (on the field). I came away feeling good about it. So did Rex.” said Tom Coughlin.
He continued:
“Then all of the sudden the questions started to come and they decided that it was something they couldn’t do. But that was the only meeting we had. And the only time I’ve ever talked to ownership.”
In the end, there’s plenty of people that could come in and save this franchise, but I wouldn’t mind seeing Coughlin do the job.
Before we figure that out, though, we have a few more players that we still need to make decisions on, like Stephon Gilmore.
Nov 20, 2016; Cincinnati, OH, USA; Buffalo Bills cornerback Stephon Gilmore (24) reacts after making an interception off a pass from Cincinnati Bengals quarterback Andy Dalton (not pictured) in the first half at Paul Brown Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Aaron Doster-USA TODAY Sports
Last offseason, Stephon Gilmore stated that he deserves to be a top-paid cornerback. He had a lot to prove this season.
When Stephon Gilmore decided to proclaim himself as one of the best cornerbacks in the league — and demanded to be paid like one — many fans started to criticize him.
He has definitely had a very successful career with Buffalo, but missing 11 games the past three years doesn’t make you the most reliable option. His numbers have been great, but he also has an issue with consistency and doesn’t play his best some weeks. We’ve seen how dysfunctional this team is when the opposing team can pass with ease, so we need a consistent CB.
Gilmore had a terrible start to the 2016 season, which didn’t help his cause at all — especially with fans. However, his season has been saved by his performance in the second-half of the year. He has been a big part in limiting David Carr, Big Ben, Blake Bortles and Andy Dalton. Those four quarterbacks combined for just 913 yards vs. the Bills.
In addition, those quarterback’s top receivers over the past four weeks have been shut down. Antonio Brown, the best receiver in the NFL, was held to just 78 yards, Amari Cooper was held to 59, Allen Robinson to 24 yards and Brandon LaFell to 32.
With three games remaining, he doesn’t have a lot of time to finish ‘wooing’ the Bills (or any other team) for that big contract he says he deserves. Although he will be matched up with receivers like Terrelle Pryor Jr., Jarvis Landry, Brandon Marshall among some other talented pass-catchers, it will help that the QB’s aren’t that much of a threat.
He will have a good chance to earn that contract, but it is definitely something that will need to be earned still. He is due approximately $40 million over 4 years, give or take, but that doesn’t mean another team won’t go higher if they think he’s worth it.
A number like that will be tough to work with, especially when you take Tyrod Taylor‘s contract into consideration, as well as other players like Zach Brown and Lorenzo Alexander.
Personally, I think Stephon Gilmore is definitely worth the money. Unfortunately, I think other players might be more worth it. If we have the money to sign him, I’m all in for it — and I think a lot of that rides on Tyrod Taylor‘s performance these next three games too. However, if the money isn’t right then I won’t be mad if he plays for another team next season.
I like Ronald Darby and think we can find a nice compliment through the draft or free agency this offseason. For now, let’s hope we can keep him next year. His 5 interceptions this season and 14 interceptions in 4 years would definitely be missed.
That brings us to the next question and one of the most important questions pertaining to next season’s success.
Jan 17, 2016; Denver, CO, USA; Pittsburgh Steelers wide receiver Markus Wheaton (11) runs against Denver Broncos cornerback Chris Harris (25) during the fourth quarter of the AFC Divisional round playoff game at Sports Authority Field at Mile High. Mandatory Credit: Matthew Emmons-USA TODAY Sports
There are several positions that will need to be upgraded this offseason for the Buffalo Bills. Let’s go through the main ones.
A lot of people rip the Buffalo Bills for their decisions they make in the offseason, but they have been showing improvement with smarter and more effective decisions recently. The more time Pegula and Whaley have, the better they get.
Our draft last year was a little disappointing due to injuries. We ended up missing Shaq Lawson for half of the year, but also never got a chance to see Reggie Ragland or Kolby Listenbee with injuries. With that being said, the Bills already have a head start on this upcoming offseason — there’s something to be happy about.
Look at it this way, we already know we have some good talent just waiting for next season to come. That’s a boost already — on both sides of the ball.
With that being said, let’s look at this year’s draft and what we should be looking for:
Wide Receiver
No matter what happens, the Buffalo Bills will be searching for more receiver talent this offseason. Robert Woods and Marquise Goodwin will likely walk in free agency. In fact, the only receivers we will have really are Sammy Watkins, Kolby Listenbee, Walter Powell, Dezmin Lewis and Marcus Easley.
Sammy is the only super talent, but he’s unreliable. With that being said, it would be preferred to get a top-WR in the draft as a safety cushion to Watkins. Listenbee could help fill the hole left by Woods and Powell/Lewis could add depth. Easley could be good for red-zone action.
So, who should we draft?
I like two in particular: Corey Davis or JujJu Smith-Schuster.
Looking at the stats, Corey Davis has simply been killin’ it since his freshman year at Western Michigan. In his four years, he has accumulated 326 receptions, 5,212 yards and 51 TD. On the other hand, Smith-Schuster has accumulated 206 receptions, 2,959 yards and 24 TD in his three years at USC.
Davis is 6’3” with great route running and body control, while Schuster is 6’2” with speed and great running after the catch.
What about free agency?
I like Markus Wheaton with the Pittsburgh Steelers and Kenny Stills with the Miami Dolphins. Although Wheaton had his season cut short, he accumulated 97 receptions, 1,393 yards and 7 TD in the two seasons prior to this one. At 5’11”, the size isn’t really there, but the ability to make big plays isn’t. His 17.0 yards per catch in 2016 was admirable.
Stills just 24 years old and entering his fifth season in the league. He has had fairly well turnouts — two with the Saints and two with the Dolphins –but none like his 2014 campaign with New Orleans. He finished that season with 63 receptions, 931 yards and 3 TD. He’s a player that can definitely take the top off a defense.
Whether it’s through free agency or the draft — I would prefer the draft — the Buffalo Bills need help at the WR position next season.
Safety
A lot of the Buffalo Bills‘ struggles vs. the pass this year have been due to a lack of a quality safety. It hasn’t been a problem every week, but enough for it to be a priority this offseason.
It’s safe to say that we probably wouldn’t be in this predicament if it weren’t for the unfortunate injury to Aaron Williams. Last season, he injured his neck and missed most of the year. This year, the same thing happened and he will now ponder retirement once again.
As of right now, the Buffalo Bills rely on Robert Blanton and Corey Graham. Blanton is a free agent this offseason and Corey Graham is turning 32 years old. The Bills are desperate for some relief at this position.
Can we draft anyone?
Yes! There’s plenty of talent in this year’s draft and it’s a position that can almost always be relieved through the draft. Some of the guys I like are Eddie Jackson, who played at Alabama and has a good amount of experience, and Jamal Adams, who played at LSU and is probably one of the more all-around safeties in this year’s draft.
We should also look at Nate Gerry out of Nebraska, who does well working downhill. However, he isn’t that effective to passes thrown over his head — which wouldn’t really help Buffalo that much.
How about the free agency?
There are also some players we could look at in the free agency to bring some safety talent to Buffalo. The biggest name this year will be Eric Berry, one of the league’s top safeties. However, he would be a big paycheck so it’s probably not the route we want to go.
I would look at either Bradley McDougald and Chris Conte, both out of Tampa Bay. They are both unrestricted free agents this season and 26 and 27 years old, respectively. Tony Jefferson with the Jaguars and John Cyprien will also be sought after this offseason.
It’s clear that adding a top-talent safety would help this defense be more effective against the pass, which would also help our run-defense in return.
Right Tackle
If you look past the injuries our offensive line has suffered through this season, we have one of the more talented offensive lines in the NFL. Unfortunately, Cordy Glenn and Eric Wood have been hampered with injuries and it has caused Tyrod to have to scramble more than expected.
Out of the five lineman — Cordy Glenn, Richie Incognito, Eric Wood, John Miller and Jordan Mills – there is only one weak spot: Jordan Mills. The right tackle hasn’t lived up to expectations and has really hurt this offensive line this season. The Bills should be looking to upgrade this position, especially with Jordan Mills being a free agent.
If we can lock up a better right tackle, then our QB will have much better protection and it will lead to him — whoever that may be — being more comfortable and accurate.
The draft?
Here’s two players to look at: Conor McDermott out of UCLA and Roderick Johnson out of Florida State. Keep in mind, Bills’ offensive line coach Andy Kromer has done a great job with John Miller these past few years and has molded him into a great building block at right guard. He could possibly do the same with one of these players.
McDermott is 6’8” and a tough guy to get around. That’s very enticing to any football team. He’s played his best football in pass protection, but has struggled with the run protection. Luckily, our run-protection is good enough and adding McDermott would give us a more balance offensive line.
On the other hand, Johnson is a player that hasn’t reached his peak just yet. That should be very eye-opening to Andy Kromer and with Roderick only 21 years old, there’s plenty of time for him to become the best. Chances are, Johnson evolves into a great offensive tackle and does it rather quickly.
What about free agency?
I would look at Mike Remmers with the Carolina Panthers, who is 6’5” and 310 pounds with a visit to the Super Bowl, or Menelik Watson with the Oakland Raiders, who has a similar frame and has helped David Carr become the QB he is. Both players could be in the Bills’ pay range.
If we can’t get a right tackle, this offensive line will struggle once again. It only takes one player to screw up an O-line.
Defensive Tackle
The Buffalo Bills will definitely need to pick up a defensive tackle to work alongside Marcell Dareus and Adolphus Washington next season. A young, talented lineman would help complete our defensive front.
Kyle Williams has had an excellent season this year, but it shouldn’t be expected next season when you consider his age. I don’t see him being able to play another full season where he sees 74% of the defensive snaps. It will help if Dareus can give us a full season and Washington takes on a larger role.
That still leaves one spot open, though, which could go be split between Corbin Bryant — who has been injured a lot this season and is also a free agent –and Williams. However, with Bryant unreliable and Williams getting old, it will also help the Bills in the long run to pick up some young talent.
Will anyone be available in the draft?
One player we could get in a later round would be Deatrich Wise Jr. out of Arkansas. If he lasts as long as expected, he would be seen to many as a steal and could even provide some valuable snaps right away. He’sgot good power and has 16.5 sacks in his career with Arkansas.
Another player is Vincent Taylor out of Oklahoma State. He is a 6’3”, 310 pounder that brings excellent athleticism and even better special teams play. He has recorded 44 tackles, 12 tackles for a loss, six sacks, two forced fumbles and even broke up one pass. Not to mention four blocked kicks. He’s projected to go in rounds 3-5 so he could be a steal as well.
What about free agency?
If we’re looking for someone to add some pass-rush to our defensive line, we are best to look at Nick Fairley with the Saints or Johnathan Hankins with the Giants. Hankins was a second round draft pick with 9.5 sacks, 3 forced fumbles and 133 tackles in his four years with New York — he had 7 sacks in 2014. He has added 6 stuffs this season.
Fairley is a player we should look at if we have the money, however we are probably better off looking at the draft at that point. In his six years, he has 19.5 sacks, 163 tackles, four forced fumbles and 19 stuffs. He has three seasons of over 5.5 sacks.
If we don’t upgrade through the draft or free agency, we will have to resign Corbin Bryant and hope him and Williams can stay healthy.
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Cornerback
I saved this one for last because a lot of it depends on whether or not we resign Stephon Gilmore this offseason. If we don’t, we will definitely need a top-talent cornerback either in the draft or the free agency.
Personally, I wouldn’t mind bringing Gilmore back, but I know we would also be fine without him. Ronald Darby can handle the best receivers, Kevon Seymour shows a lot of promise for depth and we can’t forget about Nickell Robey-Coleman and Marcus Roberson, who could be rotated in as well.
If we are looking towards the draft, we know we are in good hands. The Buffalo Bills have drafted a cornerback in four of the past five drafts and they have all been great finds — Ronald Darby, Ross Cockrell, Kevon Seymour and Stephon Gilmore. In the one year we didn’t get a cornerback, we got Jonathan Meeks.
Who’s available in the draft?
Three players to look at: Adoree Jackson, Desmond King and Corn Elder.
Jackson has some ties with Marquise Goodwin, being that they both were trying to qualify for the same event for the Olympics. He’s a great all-around talent that would bring a lot of versatility to the Bills. In his career at USC, he has 8 punt or kick return touchdowns, 6 reception touchdowns and 5 interceptions.
King is another great talent that could bring a great zone presence to Buffalo. His prestige coverage causes teams to fear throwing his way, which would compliment Ronald Darby or even Gilmore as well. Also, Elder would bring great tackling, awesome special teams play and good depth at cornerback.
What about free agency?
I think we are better off going after someone in the draft, but Marcus Cooper and Dre Kirkpatrick are two to look at in free agency. Cooper has 59 tackles and 4 interceptions this season and Kirkpatrick has 37 tackles and 3 interceptions. Compared to Gilmore, who currently has 41 tackles and 5 interceptions this season.
Either way, a cornerback would be essential to helping this team next season.
What other questions do Buffalo Bills’ fans need answered by next season? I’m sure there’s plenty, leave your comments below!
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