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What do you expect from our 3rd year players?


Virgil

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Year 3 of any NFL players career is when GM's expect the light switch to turn on and see what kind of Pro they can become.  We saw it in the best possible way with Josh Allen and have some pretty big position players this year as well.  In my opinion, these players are all fighting for their new contracts this year or could see their replacements drafted soon.  With that, what would you need to see from the following players to justify their 5th year option (Oliver only) or a contract extension next off-season.

 

Ed Oliver (5th year option) - I need to see him deliver on sacks. I'm tired of the pressure ratings and everything else.  If Star and Phillips are both healthy and doing theirs jobs, AND the edge rushers demand attention, Oliver needs to be a difference maker.  I want to see at least 6 sacks and many more pressures.  I want to hear about him commanding double teams.  For a #9 overall pick and the money he would get in that 5th year, I need to see more.  I personally don't think it will happen and his 5th year won't get picked up

 

Cody Ford - Ford has to take firm ownership of the LG position and stay healthy this year if he wants to get paid.  With how they've drafted and how they played without him, I think he has an uphill battle, but I do believe he can be re-signed fairly cheap, so I could see him staying on with us


Devin Singletary - I think Singletary puts up about 500 yards, but in splitting carries with Moss and Breida, I don't think he'll be able to take command of the group.  Singletary will play out his 4 years and most likely be gone, or stay on a cheap deal.

 

Dawson Knox - Besides Oliver, Knox is the second most watched player for me this offseason.  All he has to do is show reliable hands on the easy catches and I think he'll earn an extension.  In this offense however, I don't see him commanding enough balls to get the stats that would get him highly paid, nor have other teams fight us for him.  I believe his strong relationship with Josh will help him (unlike it did Smoke), and he does enough to get a new deal.

 

Thoughts?

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I hope they all click the way Josh did. Realistically? Not gonna happen.

Ed Oliver is not moving outside. Leslie Frazier said they are "excited about the position we have him at." He sinks or swims at interior. I've looked everywhere for what his 5th year option would be, and cannot find anything yet, just his four year contract

Knox - we will see how high the Bills are on him based on if they do pull the trigger on a veteran TE via trade. Did the TE camp help him?  He's such a beast if he could just grab and hang on to the balls that come his way...

Singletary -  the way running back has become (almost) a disposable position, and considering the Bills have become a pass-first offense, I doubt they resign him, unless it is very cheap.

 

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1 hour ago, Virgil said:

Year 3 of any NFL players career is when GM's expect the light switch to turn on and see what kind of Pro they can become.  We saw it in the best possible way with Josh Allen and have some pretty big position players this year as well.  In my opinion, these players are all fighting for their new contracts this year or could see their replacements drafted soon.  With that, what would you need to see from the following players to justify their 5th year option (Oliver only) or a contract extension next off-season.

 

Ed Oliver (5th year option) - I need to see him deliver on sacks. I'm tired of the pressure ratings and everything else.  If Star and Phillips are both healthy and doing theirs jobs, AND the edge rushers demand attention, Oliver needs to be a difference maker.  I want to see at least 6 sacks and many more pressures.  I want to hear about him commanding double teams.  For a #9 overall pick and the money he would get in that 5th year, I need to see more.  I personally don't think it will happen and his 5th year won't get picked up

 

Cody Ford - Ford has to take firm ownership of the LG position and stay healthy this year if he wants to get paid.  With how they've drafted and how they played without him, I think he has an uphill battle, but I do believe he can be re-signed fairly cheap, so I could see him staying on with us


Devin Singletary - I think Singletary puts up about 500 yards, but in splitting carries with Moss and Breida, I don't think he'll be able to take command of the group.  Singletary will play out his 4 years and most likely be gone, or stay on a cheap deal.

 

Dawson Knox - Besides Oliver, Knox is the second most watched player for me this offseason.  All he has to do is show reliable hands on the easy catches and I think he'll earn an extension.  In this offense however, I don't see him commanding enough balls to get the stats that would get him highly paid, nor have other teams fight us for him.  I believe his strong relationship with Josh will help him (unlike it did Smoke), and he does enough to get a new deal.

 

Thoughts?

seems you have identified the 2021 whipping boys

good job

 

probably nothing they do will make you happy

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3 hours ago, Virgil said:

Year 3 of any NFL players career is when GM's expect the light switch to turn on and see what kind of Pro they can become.  We saw it in the best possible way with Josh Allen and have some pretty big position players this year as well.  In my opinion, these players are all fighting for their new contracts this year or could see their replacements drafted soon.  With that, what would you need to see from the following players to justify their 5th year option (Oliver only) or a contract extension next off-season.

 

Ed Oliver (5th year option) - I need to see him deliver on sacks. I'm tired of the pressure ratings and everything else.  If Star and Phillips are both healthy and doing theirs jobs, AND the edge rushers demand attention, Oliver needs to be a difference maker.  I want to see at least 6 sacks and many more pressures.  I want to hear about him commanding double teams.  For a #9 overall pick and the money he would get in that 5th year, I need to see more.  I personally don't think it will happen and his 5th year won't get picked up

 

Cody Ford - Ford has to take firm ownership of the LG position and stay healthy this year if he wants to get paid.  With how they've drafted and how they played without him, I think he has an uphill battle, but I do believe he can be re-signed fairly cheap, so I could see him staying on with us


Devin Singletary - I think Singletary puts up about 500 yards, but in splitting carries with Moss and Breida, I don't think he'll be able to take command of the group.  Singletary will play out his 4 years and most likely be gone, or stay on a cheap deal.

 

Dawson Knox - Besides Oliver, Knox is the second most watched player for me this offseason.  All he has to do is show reliable hands on the easy catches and I think he'll earn an extension.  In this offense however, I don't see him commanding enough balls to get the stats that would get him highly paid, nor have other teams fight us for him.  I believe his strong relationship with Josh will help him (unlike it did Smoke), and he does enough to get a new deal.

 

Thoughts?

2020 was a year for the record books (and not in so many good ways).

 

With the truncated off season that was 2020, rookies and second year players had a distinct disadvantage in their development. With that in mind, I think one might have to wait till the 4th year to get a true evaluation that would ordinarily be made in the third year.


That being said, I am hopeful we see a leap out of Oliver. With Star back, eating up double teams, that should hopefully create more opportunities for Ed. If he can generate that push up the middle, opposing O-lines are going to have to pick their poison with the pieces we have in the trench. Add to the mix a 5th rusher from anywhere on the field and they would more than likely have to utilize that sixth and/or seventh player to block on passing downs. 

 

I have no idea how Ford will perform. Being he was injured midway through the year last year, in addition to the covid protocols, his second season was cut short. So again, we may need the fourth year to really get a sense of just where Cody stands.

 

With Jacob Hollister now on the roster, will Josh's old college teammate eat into Knox's snaps?

 

I don't know that I am in the same boat as many Bills Fans being down on Singletary. While I do think he can do better than he did last year, I think a lot of the problems were on the blocking scheme in many instances.

 

I do believe that if we do get solid play out of Oliver, Knox and Singletary, we have a very good chance of playing at SoFi in mid February.

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Nice post Virgil.

 

Of the four that you mentioned, I have a feeling that Oliver ad Singletary are going to take a step forward.

 

The competition at their positions will demand it.

 

Ford and Knox are what they are I'm afraid.

 

 

 

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TakeYouToTasker 2.0

Ed Oliver was playing out of position last season, absorbing double teams. He’s not a guy who can anchor against the run. He’s a disruptor who *should* be able to win 1:1 matchups and push the pocket to blow up runs in the backfield, and flush the QB from the pocket. His game should be drastically improved if Star is able to contribute in a meaningful way, and aided additionally by what should be a  much improved pass rush off the edges. I think he’ll have a big year, and will see his option picked up.

 

Cody Ford is another player I think will spend several more years in Buffalo, depending on what he thinks his value is. He’s already shown enough that the Bills brass hasn’t actively tried to replace him, and I think he’s developed good chemistry with the rest of the line. At a minimum he’s a reliable depth option, which is much harder to find than people realize.

 

Dawson Knox, to me, is the biggest bubble player. He really needs to show consistency. He has Josh’s trust, which is huge; and he has the nose for the big play. What he needs to do is make the routine play. If he can do that, he’ll be out starting TE until his 30’s. If he can’t, he won’t be back.

 

None of the others will be extended.

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TakeYouToTasker 2.0
4 hours ago, Spartacus said:

seems you have identified the 2021 whipping boys

good job

 

probably nothing they do will make you happy


What in the world was the purpose of this post?

 

If you cannot resist being negative and taking unwarranted pot-shots at other posters then I recommend stepping away from the keyboard.

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Seasons1992
4 hours ago, Spartacus said:

seems you have identified the 2021 whipping boys

good job

 

probably nothing they do will make you happy

 

My man @Virgil isn't Eeyore on this thread, you are.

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TakeYouToTasker 2.0
1 minute ago, Seasons1992 said:

 

My man @Virgil isn't Eeyore on this thread, you are.


This has been addressed already. Please stay on topic.

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