水果派AV

Jeff in Florida asks: General manager Brandon Beane took a cheap shot at WGR this week about not drafting a receiver early in the draft. Two days later, Beane signed a free agent wide receiver, Elijah Moore. It sounded like Beane has been holding the 2018 draft and picking Josh Allen over Josh Rosen in his pocket. What about Beane answering who called the non-tush push on fourth down this year against the Chiefs? Also, we have never heard who called the defense on 13 seconds.

Jay: There is a lot to unpack here. Let鈥檚 start with it being objectively hilarious that Beane went on an absolute rant about wide receiver 鈥� and then signed a wide receiver a day later. That鈥檚 just funny. This is where I land on the debate: Both sides can be right. Beane is absolutely correct that the Bills鈥� offense scored a lot of points last year. However, that doesn鈥檛 mean that being of the opinion that the wide receiver group could use a vertical threat to keep the defense honest is some outlandish idea. It鈥檚 quite the opposite, actually. Adding depth to the position and giving Josh Allen every opportunity to flourish should be a goal every offseason. We use the Eagles as an example here in the mailbag, a lot, and for good reason. They are the world champions, and they employ a pair of dynamic receivers, A.J. Brown and DeVonta Smith. Wanting the Bills to give Allen similar weapons is totally reasonable. So, too, is Beane鈥檚 belief that the defense needed an overhaul. That is the unit that has so often let the team down in the playoffs. There is no argument there.

As for Beane pulling out the Allen card, that鈥檚 his right. He got the pick right. I鈥檝e got no problem of him reminding people. If he wants to call 鈥渟coreboard鈥� from time to time, he鈥檚 earned it.

The other issues you mentioned don鈥檛 really fall in Beane鈥檚 lap. Those go more to the coaching staff, but I understand the general sentiment.

It is reasonable to be frustrated that the Bills haven鈥檛 gotten over the hump with the league MVP in his prime. One can argue that 鈥渏ust鈥� two trips to the AFC championship game with Allen is actually underachieving a bit. That is not to take anything away from what Beane and coach Sean McDermott have accomplished in Buffalo. Obviously, the franchise is in a far better position than it was before they arrived. Unless (or until) it wins that elusive championship, though, people are going to have an opinion on how to achieve that goal. Beane should recognize that, and perhaps develop a bit thicker skin when he faces some criticism.

Ken Titus asks: Been a fan since 1965 and we have lived through some periods of really poor management and coaching. Bottom line: I am extremely satisfied with the current team, coaches, management and owner. So, why are so many fans and media reps 鈥渓ooking for negativity鈥� and 鈥渜uestioning every move?鈥�

Jay: I think you鈥檙e confusing questioning every move with looking for negativity. There is nothing wrong with sharing your opinion about how you think the team should be built 鈥� or anything else, really. That is especially true if it is done in a respectful manner. Beane is under no obligation to listen to any of us. To paraphrase Marv Levy, the minute you start listening to the fans, you grow one step closer to sitting with them. Beane obviously hears the criticism, or else he wouldn鈥檛 have reacted the way he did on the radio. You can recognize how far the Bills have come, yet still want them to accomplish their ultimate goal. In fact, I鈥檇 expect every Bills fan to feel that way.

John G. asks: Hoping to see Frank Gore Jr. get an extended look this preseason and take advantage of it. Hard to imagine he would not be able to give a jolt to the offense and be part of the plan for the future if the Bills do not extend the contract of James Cook. It鈥檚 better to use cap space elsewhere, as most running backs in the league are not true difference-makers, with a couple exceptions. Cook not being one of them.

Jay: Gore will get a good, long look during training camp, but he faces an uphill battle to make the 53-man roster. Barring an injury, Cook, Ray Davis and Ty Johnson are the overwhelming favorites to be the three running backs on the 53-man roster. It is not unheard of for teams to keep four players at the position, but doing so would demand the fourth one has value on special teams. I鈥檝e not seen enough practice to know if Gore has that ability. Respectfully, I鈥檒l disagree about Cook not being a difference-maker. I鈥檝e said many times this offseason that he was the best player on the field in the AFC championship game for the Bills鈥� offense, and that includes Allen. Now, in the one game that Cook did miss last year, a road game against the Jets, Davis ran wild. That goes to your point, John, that running back is generally perceived as a replaceable position. I鈥檝e not had any issue with how the Bills have handled the situation with Cook to this point. There is nothing wrong with letting him play out the fourth season of his rookie deal. If the Bills then determine he is simply too valuable, they can use the franchise tag.

GDW asks: In 2024, the Bills鈥� defense gave up the 11th-fewest points in the league, while the offense scored the second-most points. Clearly, the defense needed the most attention on draft weekend. It seems that many people are upset that Buffalo did not select an early round receiver. The 鈥渆veryone eats鈥� offensive philosophy last year worked extremely well. Now, with three early round defensive linemen, the Bills are better suited to put more pressure on Patrick Mahomes and other quarterbacks, as well as stopping the run. When the draft concluded, the worst grade given to the Bills by the national draft experts was a B-plus. Most gave them an A. And remember, Josh Allen received the NFL MVP award with last year鈥檚 receivers. Will you agree with me that Brandon Beane did a great job in this year鈥檚 draft?

Jay: I鈥檒l say we should hold off on judging this year鈥檚 draft, as we should with any class, until at least a couple seasons have gone by. On paper, there is logic behind Beane鈥檚 picks. You鈥檙e absolutely right that the defensive line needed upgrades, but we don鈥檛 yet know if the Bills鈥� additions are actually upgrades. In the same way, taking a wide receiver would not have been a guaranteed success. The logic behind drafting Kaiir Elam was solid; it just didn鈥檛 work out. What we can say with certainty is that the Bills had a clear plan going into the draft to improve their defense. We鈥檒l see starting in September, but not ending until after the 2026 season at the earliest, whether that actually happens.

Drew Shapiro asks: Locals seem overly concerned about the lack of a field stretcher not selected in the draft. Is that not one of the strengths and qualities of practice squad receiver K.J. Hamler? Has his speed been forgotten about? Why can he not be the fifth receiver, consisting of Khalil Shakir (separator), Keon Coleman (contested-catch tackle-breaker), Curtis Samuel (quickness), and Joshua Palmer (route runner). Plus, could there be a speed receiver released by another team after June 1 that the Bills could be interested in signing? Worst-case scenario, why not let Hamler and the shifty Laviska Shenault Jr. compete to see who is going to emerge as the deep threat?

Jay: He certainly could be, Drew. Although it鈥檚 worth pointing out that Hamler spent all of last season with the Bills, and they had the same need and didn鈥檛 think he was the answer. If they did, they would鈥檝e promoted him to the active roster. That鈥檚 not to rule him out, entirely, but I like the second point you made better. That is, the offseason isn鈥檛 over. The Bills could trade for a receiver. Or, as you mentioned, a player could get cut after June 1 who might help. Beane frequently mentions that the process of building a roster never truly stops. That is a fair point. We should see what the roster looks like at the end of August before jumping to any conclusions.

Ken asks: There is concern over the impact of fourth-round pick Deone Walker鈥檚 recent back injury. How much medical information, X-rays, MRIs, etc. do the drafting teams get in these situations before they make the pick? My thought is if evidence indicates player should be 100% eventually, then go for it.

Jay: A big part of the reason the NFL scouting combine is so valuable for teams is the ability to get a full understanding of a player鈥檚 medical history. So, that information is available, and one reason teams may bring players to their facility ahead of the draft is they determine they need more answers on medical situations. When it comes to Walker, it is fair to have concerns. A man of his size with back problems is a definite concern. Clearly, the Bills鈥� medical staff believes he鈥檒l make a full recovery, or else it was a foolish decision to draft him. Beane said it is likely Walker won鈥檛 be a full participant in spring practices as the team determines the best course of action to guarantee he makes a full recovery.

HK asks: Do you think Shedeur Sanders鈥� draft position partially resulted from teams just not wanting to deal with his father?

Jay: Yes, I think that was one of the factors. Others include the possibility that the media was higher on Sanders鈥� potential than scouts actually were, as well as the possibility that teams were put off by some of Sanders鈥� actions during the pre-draft process. All of those contributed, in my mind, to him falling to the fifth round. Additionally, I鈥檓 not sure the Browns鈥� front office even wanted to draft him. The shot of their war room after the pick was made looked like a hostage situation.

Thank you for all the questions this week! As a reminder, they can be submitted via X to @JaySkurski or by email to jskurski@buffnews.com.