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Buffalo Bills: The sky’s the limit in 2018 & beyond

By Andrew King

ORCHARD PARK, NY - NOVEMBER 08: A giant flag covers the field as a C-130 flies overhead during pre-game ceremonies before the Miami Dolphins and the Buffalo Bills football game at Ralph Wilson Stadium on November 8, 2015 in Orchard Park, New York. (Photo by Brett Carlsen/Getty Images)
ORCHARD PARK, NY - NOVEMBER 08: A giant flag covers the field as a C-130 flies overhead during pre-game ceremonies before the Miami Dolphins and the Buffalo Bills football game at Ralph Wilson Stadium on November 8, 2015 in Orchard Park, New York. (Photo by Brett Carlsen/Getty Images) /
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ORCHARD PARK, NY – DECEMBER 24: A general view of the stadium during the first half of the game between the Buffalo Bills and the Miami Dolphins at New Era Stadium on December 24, 2016 in Orchard Park, New York. (Photo by Michael Adamucci/Getty Images)
ORCHARD PARK, NY – DECEMBER 24: A general view of the stadium during the first half of the game between the Buffalo Bills and the Miami Dolphins at New Era Stadium on December 24, 2016 in Orchard Park, New York. (Photo by Michael Adamucci/Getty Images) /

Breaking down what the Pegulas are getting in McBeane

 In Sean McDermott, the Bills’ Owners Terry and Kim Pegula hired a first in the door, last to leave the building guy. They hired a coach who realizes that coaching is teaching. Also, they hired a coach that believes that playing with sound technique, good leverage and playing the mindset that details and being fundamentally sound matter.

In short, McDermott and Ryan are opposites. The only thing Ryan has a leg up on McDermott is his previous head coaching experience. But I ask you, how did that previous coaching experience serve the Bills and Ryan? So now we can get into the man who replaced former Bills’ general manager Doug Whaley.

Brandon Beane is his name, and he is the Bills’ current general manager. The reasons why Beane traded Sammy Watkins to the Rams and Ronald Darby to the Eagles, will never truly be known. From the outside looking in, at least some of those reasons are relatively transparent to a football mind. McDermott primarily runs a Zone base defensive scheme. Whaley and Ryan drafted cornerback Ronald Darby to play man to man defense in Ryan’s defensive scheme.

Darby is a much better man to man NFL cover cornerback than he is a zone cornerback. If you’re confused, think of it like this. It’s much harder to transition a defense from a 4-3 to a 3-4, then doing the opposite. Asking defensive ends to stand up and cover offensive skill position players or play zone is rather challenging and more times than not.

Something very awkward for a player that has put his hand in the ground and rushed the quarterback his entire career.

I content to you that is it easier to teach a cornerback how to play man to man defense than it is to teach a man to man cornerback to play zone. I am by no means any authority on this. That is simply my opinion.  As for why Beane traded Sammy Watkins. Well, that is a little more complicated at least for football reasons. Watkins is one of the most talented football players at the wide receiver position. His speed combined with his run after catch ability is arguably second to none. On the field, Watkins finally appeared to have proven once and for all.

That on Thursday, August 10, in his last game with the Bills against the Vikings that his surgically repaired foot is no longer a lingering issue. I’d be remiss if I failed to mention that this is a contract year for Watkins.

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So, Watkins, like any of us, is extremely motivated to get paid for his second NFL contract. Whether people believe the Bills would be willing to pay Watkins or not, what he could be worth on the open market, is up for legitimate debate. Neither you, nor I am privy to the goings on, and discussions had inside the walls at One Bills Drive.

What the Consensus is for the Bills in regards to the 2018 NFL draft

Although it is a fact, there is no consensus in science. Perhaps there is some consensus (but not science) in the NFL every year as to who should and perhaps will be the first pick overall and so on and so forth for at least the top 10 prospects before each NFL draft. Nowadays, it seems like every NFL fan has a draft “Big Board,” of their own. Mel Kiper Jr. and Todd McShay eat your hearts out. Logically, one would conclude with some semblance of the reason and logic. That this is so because of fantasy sports, more specifically and rightfully so, because of fantasy football and daily fantasy sports in general. On to the so called mindset or what the so called consensus of “McBeane’s” mindset is in regards to the 2018 NFL draft.

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