WEBVTT - Bills By The Numbers: Coaching Candidates, Roster Decisions, And More! 0:00:00.360 --> 0:00:03.120 Welcome to another edition of Bills by the Numbers, where 0:00:03.120 --> 0:00:04.800 we let the stats tell you where the Bills are at. 0:00:04.800 --> 0:00:07.440 We're presented by fan we will make every moment more 0:00:07.520 --> 0:00:10.000 coming up while the Bills search for a new head coach, 0:00:10.119 --> 0:00:14.240 we examined the areas in need of improvement for Buffalo's roster. 0:00:14.560 --> 0:00:18.680 Will the bills current roster impact the coaching candidate they 0:00:18.760 --> 0:00:22.520 ultimately hire in an effort to minimize change, And we'll 0:00:22.560 --> 0:00:26.840 have our one burning question. Let's get the off season 0:00:26.960 --> 0:00:42.440 train rolling. Glad to have you with us here on 0:00:42.600 --> 0:00:44.920 Bills by the Numbers. He's Bill's Wall of Famers, Steve 0:00:44.960 --> 0:00:47.520 Diaskround Bills play by playman Chris Brown, and with another 0:00:47.600 --> 0:00:51.360 season over a bit too soon, we focus on Buffalo's 0:00:51.440 --> 0:00:55.279 roster and where it didn't reach its full potential. Now, 0:00:55.280 --> 0:00:57.720 the Bills were still a very successful team as we know, 0:00:57.840 --> 0:01:00.560 twelve and five record, fourth in total offense, seventh in 0:01:00.640 --> 0:01:03.920 total defense. But in the postseason, as we know, they 0:01:03.920 --> 0:01:07.000 didn't play their best, but also may have not had 0:01:07.400 --> 0:01:11.120 all the answers. Buffalo, like many teams, even those in 0:01:11.160 --> 0:01:15.000 the playoffs this year, had their share of flaws, and 0:01:15.040 --> 0:01:19.919 that's where we begin. What part of this team sits 0:01:20.000 --> 0:01:23.240 at the top of the list in terms of fortifying 0:01:23.360 --> 0:01:27.600 or in need of fortification going forward and improving with personnel. 0:01:28.800 --> 0:01:31.200 Well that with the situation of the contracts and the 0:01:31.200 --> 0:01:34.000 cap and all that stuff. Obviously there's a couple of spots. 0:01:34.240 --> 0:01:36.399 You're losing two starting offensive line and one of the 0:01:36.400 --> 0:01:38.480 things that has been you know, to free agency to 0:01:38.520 --> 0:01:41.640 create kind of foundational for the success of the offense. 0:01:43.880 --> 0:01:47.920 To me, that that's where you start. I know, the 0:01:48.240 --> 0:01:50.760 wide receiver is gonna they're gonna fill out the roster 0:01:50.800 --> 0:01:53.160 with wide receivers and all that. But this offense, as 0:01:53.160 --> 0:01:59.760 you said, fourth and total offense, with a revolving door 0:01:59.760 --> 0:02:04.720 and absolute mess at wide receiver. Don't let what's good 0:02:04.720 --> 0:02:09.360 about it go. You've got the number four offensive league. 0:02:09.520 --> 0:02:11.840 Keep it there at least, and then anything you can 0:02:11.880 --> 0:02:14.359 add on on the outside at wide receiver will be grave. 0:02:14.480 --> 0:02:18.160 Your tight ends are still in the room. Khalisha Kiir 0:02:18.240 --> 0:02:20.519 is still in a contract. James Cook just signed an extension, 0:02:22.240 --> 0:02:25.600 you know, So don't let the offensive line erode. Because 0:02:26.240 --> 0:02:29.840 whether you've got you know, a Hall of Fame wide 0:02:29.840 --> 0:02:31.359 receiver out there or not, Josh, you're going to be 0:02:31.400 --> 0:02:33.200 running for his life before he can get the vault there. 0:02:33.320 --> 0:02:35.800 You've got to start with the foundation. He can't lose that. 0:02:36.480 --> 0:02:39.080 To me, it starts and ends with the offensive line 0:02:39.080 --> 0:02:41.919 on offense, and the same thing on the defense. They've 0:02:41.960 --> 0:02:44.440 still got to bolster the defense and try and get 0:02:44.440 --> 0:02:45.280 find a pass rush. 0:02:45.360 --> 0:02:48.680 Yeah, looking at the offense, I would tend to agree 0:02:48.720 --> 0:02:53.520 with that. How they decide financially to refortify the line, 0:02:53.520 --> 0:02:57.400 whether by resigning their own or by promoting from within 0:02:57.480 --> 0:03:00.400 with maybe a young player in the pipeline at one 0:03:00.440 --> 0:03:02.640 of the spots, and maybe only resign one of the 0:03:02.680 --> 0:03:08.240 two those being Connor McGovern and David Edwards, remains to 0:03:08.240 --> 0:03:10.799 be seen. And you know, once again the Bills have 0:03:10.880 --> 0:03:14.080 to get under the cap first and then decide if 0:03:14.080 --> 0:03:16.560 they're going to make some other fiscal decisions to create 0:03:16.639 --> 0:03:20.200 more cap space, be it restructure, be it outright release, 0:03:20.280 --> 0:03:23.919 whatever the case might be. But I don't think there's 0:03:23.960 --> 0:03:30.480 any getting around the fact that the receiver production, due 0:03:30.480 --> 0:03:35.160 partially to injury and to other factors, was not there. 0:03:35.400 --> 0:03:37.960 The interesting thing is, if you look at the numbers, 0:03:38.360 --> 0:03:41.320 and that's what we do here, they weren't that far 0:03:41.360 --> 0:03:45.720 off from last year. So Here are the receiver totals 0:03:46.000 --> 0:03:50.240 twenty twenty four compared to twenty twenty five by receivers only. 0:03:50.240 --> 0:03:52.640 We're not talking tight ends, we're not talking backs here. 0:03:53.800 --> 0:03:58.040 So in twenty twenty four, the receivers had one hundred 0:03:58.440 --> 0:04:03.520 ninety receptions. This past season one hundred and eighty, so 0:04:03.600 --> 0:04:08.800 ten fewer catches by the receiving corps in total yards 0:04:09.120 --> 0:04:13.880 twenty twenty four twenty four hundred this year twenty one 0:04:13.960 --> 0:04:16.680 hundred seven, so about a three hundred yard difference there. 0:04:16.920 --> 0:04:22.880 Down and then receiving touchdowns seventeen in twenty twenty four, 0:04:23.520 --> 0:04:27.279 just eleven this year. They did have one rushing touchdown 0:04:27.320 --> 0:04:29.400 from Elijah More in Week two against the Jets. 0:04:29.600 --> 0:04:31.560 This total regular season and playoffs. 0:04:31.560 --> 0:04:36.279 This is regular season only, So the production was down, 0:04:37.000 --> 0:04:40.640 but not dramatically down, maybe with the exception of yards. 0:04:40.839 --> 0:04:42.520 And I think too one of the things that we 0:04:42.520 --> 0:04:45.640 always notice here, particularly with this crew and in the 0:04:45.680 --> 0:04:51.640 era that we were in with Josh, you see it 0:04:51.720 --> 0:04:54.760 on the field, these small, subtle differences. There are moments 0:04:54.760 --> 0:04:58.400 in the games where you're missing the X guy, that big, 0:04:58.520 --> 0:05:00.560 big time guy. Not all the time, because they have 0:05:00.800 --> 0:05:02.480 they get good production from the tight ends and the 0:05:02.560 --> 0:05:04.479 running backs, and the running game was a huge factor 0:05:04.520 --> 0:05:07.000 this year. We led the league in rushing the whole thing. 0:05:07.600 --> 0:05:10.599 But there's no doubt that every so often you're looking 0:05:10.640 --> 0:05:13.760 for some receiver that yeah, but you know he needs 0:05:13.760 --> 0:05:16.839 a target. They didn't have that this year. Kali Secure 0:05:16.920 --> 0:05:18.880 was very late to the party this year and starting 0:05:18.880 --> 0:05:20.320 to get it. He saw it in the playoffs where 0:05:20.320 --> 0:05:23.559 he got twelve to twelve in the wild card round 0:05:24.240 --> 0:05:29.159 and another seven against Denver. So he emerged, you know, 0:05:29.200 --> 0:05:31.320 at the time when it was the most important, but 0:05:31.400 --> 0:05:34.080 during the regular season and at the time when this 0:05:34.640 --> 0:05:37.840 team kicked it off in Week one with a chance 0:05:38.080 --> 0:05:42.560 or designs on getting the one seed, those small margins 0:05:43.360 --> 0:05:44.640 become big differences. 0:05:44.720 --> 0:05:47.880 I think at the end of the day, the NFL 0:05:49.120 --> 0:05:52.560 is a matchup league, and I think in the regular 0:05:52.680 --> 0:05:58.719 season you can overcome maybe some one on one matchup 0:05:59.200 --> 0:06:02.560 deficiency at the skill positions and still find a way 0:06:02.600 --> 0:06:05.240 to win the game, especially if you did, especially if 0:06:05.240 --> 0:06:07.479 you have the number one rushing offense in football, and yes, 0:06:07.520 --> 0:06:09.400 that's what the Bills did. When you get to the 0:06:09.440 --> 0:06:14.520 playoffs and you're playing against the best defenses in the league. 0:06:14.520 --> 0:06:17.120 Not to mention the fact that the Bills in succession 0:06:17.160 --> 0:06:19.520 faced the number one run defense and the number two 0:06:19.560 --> 0:06:23.039 run defense in football. That's the point where maybe you 0:06:23.240 --> 0:06:26.320 need to be able to pivot and have a winning 0:06:26.400 --> 0:06:29.880 matchup or two in the passing game. And I think 0:06:29.920 --> 0:06:34.680 on the outside on the perimeter that hasn't materialized yet, 0:06:34.720 --> 0:06:37.520 whether you thought a young player like Keon Coleman was 0:06:37.560 --> 0:06:40.479 going to step into that role, or whether you did 0:06:40.480 --> 0:06:45.119 not acquire maybe the right free agent to step into 0:06:45.120 --> 0:06:48.039 that role. Now, Joshua Palmer was on ir by the 0:06:48.080 --> 0:06:50.760 time they got to the postseason. But Joshua Palmer did 0:06:50.760 --> 0:06:55.560 not have a single receiving touchdown this season, not one. 0:06:55.839 --> 0:06:58.240 What for a ten million dollars a year receiver, I 0:06:58.279 --> 0:07:00.919 think the expectations were significant higher than that. 0:07:01.200 --> 0:07:03.440 What gets lost in this when you when you look 0:07:03.440 --> 0:07:05.520 at the schematics and the and the extra knows what 0:07:05.520 --> 0:07:07.240 it means in the big picture when you've got a 0:07:07.839 --> 0:07:10.800 big time X receiver. Yes, certainly there's a guy that 0:07:10.800 --> 0:07:12.880 you can go to and throw it to. But more 0:07:12.920 --> 0:07:17.400 than that, it forces a defense to play you a 0:07:17.440 --> 0:07:20.400 certain way. The defense is not gonna one on one 0:07:20.480 --> 0:07:25.960 him with some just a guy they've got to put 0:07:26.080 --> 0:07:29.320 their number one corner on him, and then if that 0:07:29.440 --> 0:07:31.800 and give him some help in certain situation, a big 0:07:31.960 --> 0:07:34.800 X receiver, you're gonna double team him all the time, 0:07:35.200 --> 0:07:38.119 and some teams will double team him with your number 0:07:38.120 --> 0:07:41.320 two corner and help. So hopefully those two guys are 0:07:41.360 --> 0:07:43.680 good enough to stop your number one guy, and then 0:07:43.720 --> 0:07:46.120 our number one guy is really good enough to stop 0:07:46.160 --> 0:07:49.320 your number two guy. So then you've that's how a 0:07:49.360 --> 0:07:52.720 defense attacks your personnel, and it's a trickle down effect, right, 0:07:52.920 --> 0:07:55.280 So if you've got a guy that can't be covered 0:07:56.240 --> 0:08:00.680 it or is harder to cover, the amount of assets 0:08:00.680 --> 0:08:04.600 and attention a guy gets from a defense affects how 0:08:04.640 --> 0:08:07.600 good everybody else can play, and where you all of 0:08:07.640 --> 0:08:11.960 a sudden, your number one rushing offense becomes unstoppable because 0:08:11.960 --> 0:08:14.320 the defense will not take two guys off that guy, 0:08:14.360 --> 0:08:16.320 and they're stopping you with seven guys in the box 0:08:16.360 --> 0:08:19.000 instead of eight or nine because you got two guys 0:08:19.080 --> 0:08:21.360 or two and a half guys watching the X guy. 0:08:21.960 --> 0:08:24.960 That's the problem that a big time wide out gives 0:08:24.960 --> 0:08:27.280 you because he's out there by himself and you got 0:08:27.400 --> 0:08:29.800 to throw guys outside the box to go cover him, 0:08:30.480 --> 0:08:35.199 or move guys or stem guys after the snap. That's 0:08:35.280 --> 0:08:37.120 what gets lost in all this. It's not just about 0:08:37.120 --> 0:08:41.520 throwing that the guy ten times a game. It's about 0:08:41.920 --> 0:08:44.839 what a defense has to do just to cover him 0:08:44.880 --> 0:08:47.920 up just because he's there, and what the fear he 0:08:47.960 --> 0:08:49.320 strikes into their coaching staff. 0:08:49.360 --> 0:08:52.640 In case you were wondering where the passing game production went, 0:08:53.440 --> 0:08:57.000 it largely went to the tight ends. Twenty twenty four 0:08:57.480 --> 0:09:00.400 seventy two receptions for eight hundred total yards and four 0:09:00.440 --> 0:09:04.200 receiving touchdowns by the tight ends in twenty twenty four. 0:09:04.600 --> 0:09:08.440 This past season, twenty twenty five, receptions went up by 0:09:08.520 --> 0:09:12.240 twenty three ninety five receptions and the yardage went up 0:09:12.280 --> 0:09:15.160 by more than four hundred yards, from eight hundred to 0:09:15.280 --> 0:09:18.880 twelve hundred ten. And then here's where the big spike happened. 0:09:19.240 --> 0:09:22.760 Receiving touchdowns. They went from four in twenty twenty four 0:09:23.280 --> 0:09:27.720 to twelve this past season. The three tight ends on 0:09:27.760 --> 0:09:32.600 this roster outscored the receivers, of which numbered about eight 0:09:32.760 --> 0:09:35.079 by the time you had guys shuffling in the lineup. 0:09:35.200 --> 0:09:39.080 Twelve receiving touchdowns for the three tight ends, eleven receiving 0:09:39.080 --> 0:09:42.359 touchdowns for the entire receiving corps this season. 0:09:42.000 --> 0:09:44.720 And I think that number was probably exacerbated by the 0:09:44.720 --> 0:09:46.800 fact that the coaching staff getting ready for games, knew 0:09:46.920 --> 0:09:48.560 the tight ends were going to be there. Yeah, they 0:09:48.640 --> 0:09:49.560 knew they were going to be in there. 0:09:49.880 --> 0:09:50.360 That's a part of it. 0:09:50.400 --> 0:09:51.960 And in a week to week they didn't know if 0:09:52.559 --> 0:09:55.839 if you know, this guy with Palmer was in, and 0:09:55.880 --> 0:09:57.280 you go all the way back to all the guys 0:09:57.280 --> 0:09:59.160 that were here, Elijah Moore was going to They don't 0:09:59.160 --> 0:10:02.240 know who these guys were be in and so they 0:10:02.320 --> 0:10:03.960 knew the tight ends were going to be there, so 0:10:04.000 --> 0:10:07.640 they planned for it and the production was there. That 0:10:07.679 --> 0:10:08.880 doesn't surprise me either. 0:10:09.679 --> 0:10:12.080 It looked that way to the naked eye just thinking 0:10:12.160 --> 0:10:14.280 about it, without even consulting the numbers in case you 0:10:14.320 --> 0:10:16.600 were running wondering where the running backs went. In the 0:10:16.640 --> 0:10:21.160 receiving game, they were largely flat from twenty four to 0:10:21.200 --> 0:10:24.720 twenty five sixty seven receptions in twenty four, sixty nine 0:10:24.800 --> 0:10:27.679 this year, seven hundred and thirty one yards last year, 0:10:27.760 --> 0:10:30.400 six hundred and sixty four yards this year. Eight touchdowns 0:10:30.440 --> 0:10:34.600 receiving last year six this year, so relatively the same, 0:10:34.720 --> 0:10:37.200 and it makes sense you had the same three guys 0:10:37.640 --> 0:10:42.480 to a large degree with Cook, Johnson and Davis Part 0:10:42.559 --> 0:10:45.800 two for where we'd like to see improvement. You mentioned 0:10:45.800 --> 0:10:50.880 the defensive line. Pass rush is a problem and it's 0:10:50.880 --> 0:10:53.760 been a persistent problem for this team in terms of 0:10:54.480 --> 0:10:58.920 having a difference maker off the edge that other teams 0:10:59.400 --> 0:11:02.400 to your point of about an X receiver game plan four, 0:11:03.000 --> 0:11:05.640 And we look at the pass rush totals quickly before 0:11:05.679 --> 0:11:09.840 we dive into this conversation. Twenty twenty four, thirty nine 0:11:09.920 --> 0:11:13.200 sacks ranked eighteenth in the league. This year thirty six 0:11:13.280 --> 0:11:16.920 sacks ranked twentieth in the league. Where they've been strong 0:11:17.120 --> 0:11:19.720 is passer rating allowed, and you got to credit the 0:11:19.720 --> 0:11:23.280 guys on the back end for this too, obviously eighteenth 0:11:23.360 --> 0:11:26.719 and passer rating allowed in twenty four. Passer rating was 0:11:26.800 --> 0:11:30.160 ninety three point three for opposing quarterbacks this year seventh 0:11:30.200 --> 0:11:32.960 in the league in passer rating allowed seventy nine point 0:11:33.040 --> 0:11:38.600 eight passer rating. Pass pressure percentage tenth in twenty twenty four, 0:11:38.880 --> 0:11:44.239 eleventh and twenty twenty five. Then you have quarterback knockdown percentage, 0:11:44.600 --> 0:11:48.440 largely the same thirteenth and twenty twenty four. It was 0:11:48.520 --> 0:11:50.880 eighth this year, although it only went up one and 0:11:50.880 --> 0:11:55.600 a half percent. Hurry percentage seventh in twenty twenty four, 0:11:55.920 --> 0:12:00.000 twentieth in twenty twenty five, and then completion percentage allowed 0:12:00.679 --> 0:12:04.400 that improved to a great degree. Completion percentage allowed in 0:12:04.480 --> 0:12:07.319 twenty four they were twenty eighth sixty eight and a 0:12:07.360 --> 0:12:12.560 half percent. Twenty twenty five fourth fifty nine point seven percent. 0:12:12.679 --> 0:12:15.320 Big jump there, you could feel that. Yeah, and then 0:12:15.400 --> 0:12:19.360 QB hits sixteenth in twenty twenty four with ninety four, 0:12:19.920 --> 0:12:25.080 twentieth this year with ninety two. Is what is It's 0:12:25.120 --> 0:12:31.679 been an elusive problem for the Bills to solve and fix. 0:12:31.760 --> 0:12:34.640 It's not like they have not tried. I mean they've 0:12:34.679 --> 0:12:38.160 tried year over year over year to address it. And 0:12:38.240 --> 0:12:42.680 this past offseason they signed three defensive linemen in free 0:12:42.679 --> 0:12:47.200 agency and drafted three defensive linemen in the draft class, 0:12:47.880 --> 0:12:50.600 although not all of them were edge rushers. There were 0:12:50.640 --> 0:12:55.200 defensive tackles obviously drafted and signed in free agency. But 0:12:55.480 --> 0:12:59.280 if you look at it, Michael Hoyt not really a 0:12:59.280 --> 0:13:02.640 part of the equation. Played a game and a half 0:13:02.960 --> 0:13:07.439 and that was it. Joey Bosa after he injured his wrist, 0:13:08.000 --> 0:13:10.600 was a non factor the rest of the season playing 0:13:10.640 --> 0:13:15.840 through that. And to your point about free agency. On 0:13:15.920 --> 0:13:19.679 the offensive line, You've got Bosa and aj Epanessa as 0:13:19.760 --> 0:13:26.560 free agents, so you'll have presumably some subtraction there. The 0:13:26.600 --> 0:13:30.880 problem here, I see it. Steve is sure you could 0:13:30.920 --> 0:13:37.160 get a Tier two free agent to sign here. I 0:13:37.200 --> 0:13:39.480 think you have to invest in the draft here and 0:13:40.120 --> 0:13:44.640 find a way to get elite pass rushing talent, even 0:13:44.720 --> 0:13:47.440 if you need to trade up in round one where 0:13:47.440 --> 0:13:50.960 the Bills are picking twenty fifth. I know the draft 0:13:51.000 --> 0:13:53.240 is a long way off, but you're right. 0:13:54.920 --> 0:13:57.679 The problem is those guys that can really rush the passer, 0:13:58.679 --> 0:14:01.000 that have those double digit sactions year after year after year. 0:14:01.360 --> 0:14:04.040 You know, obviously the Miles Garretts of the world and 0:14:04.080 --> 0:14:07.160 the Max Crosby, although Max Crosby was a lower round 0:14:07.240 --> 0:14:13.679 draft pick, they're one percenters. You've they have to have. 0:14:13.760 --> 0:14:16.400 You've got to have elite physical traits. You've got to 0:14:16.440 --> 0:14:22.240 be big, tall, long, fast, strong, athletic, all of that, 0:14:23.080 --> 0:14:25.480 and you've and you've got to have something between your ears. 0:14:25.960 --> 0:14:28.080 Those guys are hard to find. The Bills are. You're 0:14:28.120 --> 0:14:30.560 not gonna get the one of those guys in free 0:14:30.560 --> 0:14:34.600 agency because teams will not let them go. You could possibly, yes, 0:14:34.640 --> 0:14:37.240 you could possibly trade for one, but it's gonna your 0:14:37.240 --> 0:14:38.840 cap is gonna be out of whack if you do. 0:14:39.880 --> 0:14:45.880 And the only way to get one is high in 0:14:45.920 --> 0:14:48.440 the NFL. Not just a first rounder. I'm talking in 0:14:48.480 --> 0:14:52.800 the first ten picks of the first round, at least fifteen. 0:14:52.960 --> 0:14:56.200 Maybe you've got to get in the top half of 0:14:56.240 --> 0:14:59.680 the first round, and there has to be a guy there. Well, yes, 0:15:00.480 --> 0:15:04.000 there's not gonna be six of them. There's gonna be 0:15:04.800 --> 0:15:10.680 two maybe, maybe two, three possibly. Yeah. 0:15:10.840 --> 0:15:12.560 I'm not gonna pretend you have looked at the draft 0:15:12.560 --> 0:15:13.240 class yet. 0:15:13.120 --> 0:15:16.080 But that here historically speaking, right, it's not gonna be 0:15:16.120 --> 0:15:18.600 a handful. It's not going to be a handful. So 0:15:18.640 --> 0:15:20.320 you've got to go up and get one if you 0:15:20.320 --> 0:15:21.040 want one of those ones. 0:15:21.120 --> 0:15:23.560 Yeah, Because here's what I come back to. We heard 0:15:23.600 --> 0:15:26.600 Brandon being in his press conference this past week when 0:15:26.600 --> 0:15:29.400 he talked about tweaking the roster and upgrading it, and 0:15:29.440 --> 0:15:32.360 he was explaining how when you're paying a quarterback top 0:15:32.360 --> 0:15:35.160 of the market money, which they are obviously with Josh Allen, 0:15:35.560 --> 0:15:40.200 you have to make sacrifices elsewhere in my estimation, which 0:15:40.440 --> 0:15:44.520 with as hard as they have been chasing improving the 0:15:44.560 --> 0:15:48.600 pass rush, I think the formula, and the sacrifice you 0:15:48.680 --> 0:15:53.240 have to make is draft capital. I think you have 0:15:53.320 --> 0:15:59.600 to sacrifice draft capital and maybe significant draft capital to 0:15:59.720 --> 0:16:03.320 get to a place where you can get a premier 0:16:03.480 --> 0:16:07.280 pass rusher in the draft, because to me, that's the 0:16:07.320 --> 0:16:10.280 only way you're going to get elite talent at a 0:16:10.320 --> 0:16:14.520 price you can afford. Right, So cough up and sacrifice 0:16:14.680 --> 0:16:18.800 draft capital to acquire the elite talent you need on 0:16:18.840 --> 0:16:22.360 your defensive line to change the fortunes of your pass 0:16:22.480 --> 0:16:24.440 rush productivity. Now what do you say to that? 0:16:24.520 --> 0:16:27.760 Yeah, absolutely, you can sacrifice it to get it. If 0:16:27.960 --> 0:16:31.080 if the guys are if you feel he's a sure thing, sure. 0:16:31.520 --> 0:16:33.320 You have ye won't have to be over the moon 0:16:33.400 --> 0:16:34.440 about the talent that. 0:16:34.360 --> 0:16:37.920 You cant is lean And because it's because Josh is 0:16:37.960 --> 0:16:41.960 on the team, they are they are lean heavily on 0:16:42.320 --> 0:16:44.240 drafting on the defensive side of the ball. They did 0:16:44.280 --> 0:16:46.680 this last year. Uh. And when they draft on the 0:16:46.720 --> 0:16:49.680 offensive side of the ball, it's much easier uh to 0:16:49.840 --> 0:16:53.760 draft big dudes up up, you know, in the draft 0:16:53.840 --> 0:16:58.080 for the offensive line. Say, but I think they have 0:16:58.200 --> 0:17:01.520 spent a lot of some draft apple, at least on 0:17:01.560 --> 0:17:05.240 the defensive secondary trying to bolster the defensive pass rush 0:17:05.280 --> 0:17:09.440 by covering guys up a little better. Cole Bishop, Max 0:17:09.440 --> 0:17:12.879 Harrison to be just to name a few, Christian Benford, 0:17:13.720 --> 0:17:17.560 you know they they have sprinkled Jordan Hancock, Jordan Hancock 0:17:17.600 --> 0:17:19.840 and of course tarn was a long time ago a 0:17:20.040 --> 0:17:23.359 draft pick. But that's kind of where they go if 0:17:23.400 --> 0:17:26.280 they can keep those guys top notch. 0:17:26.480 --> 0:17:28.960 Because small guys are more plentiful in number. 0:17:29.040 --> 0:17:32.600 Athletes are. Athletes are a dime a dozen. Not all 0:17:32.680 --> 0:17:35.080 of them can play football. But you get a guy 0:17:35.080 --> 0:17:37.680 that's good enough athlete for sure in the draft, and 0:17:38.280 --> 0:17:40.960 that's where they've been able to draft and develop guys. 0:17:41.080 --> 0:17:43.440 Knowing the Bills still have some work to do to 0:17:43.480 --> 0:17:48.120 get under the cap, do you envision more of the 0:17:48.119 --> 0:17:52.240 best new talent added to the roster this coming offseason 0:17:53.520 --> 0:17:56.440 coming to this team via the draft. 0:17:57.000 --> 0:18:00.000 The best new talent probably not. No, you can't count 0:18:00.080 --> 0:18:01.800 on that because they're young. You don't know how they're 0:18:01.840 --> 0:18:04.480 going to adapt. There's a lot more question marks than 0:18:04.520 --> 0:18:06.800 there are if you signed free agents on the open 0:18:06.840 --> 0:18:10.600 market who are proven. Certainly, it did not turn out 0:18:10.640 --> 0:18:12.440 that way this last year with the free agent market 0:18:12.480 --> 0:18:15.280 and wide receivers of course, all those guys got nicked 0:18:15.359 --> 0:18:16.760 up and they were sidelin in and out of the 0:18:16.760 --> 0:18:18.719 line of it turned into a revolving It was kind 0:18:18.720 --> 0:18:21.800 of a mess because of the health aspect of the roster. 0:18:22.400 --> 0:18:26.040 But for the most part, you kind of know what 0:18:26.119 --> 0:18:31.760 you're getting in some of these guys, and this this 0:18:31.920 --> 0:18:35.160 crew with Brandon and their scouting, they've done a really 0:18:35.240 --> 0:18:40.400 nice job at finding guys who who emerge in Buffalo's 0:18:40.440 --> 0:18:43.680 system much better than they have appeared other places, particularly 0:18:43.720 --> 0:18:45.760 on the defensive side of the ball. Dion Walker was 0:18:45.760 --> 0:18:49.040 a guy they drafted last year and fell fourth round, 0:18:49.080 --> 0:18:51.639 and he was as good and a consistent of defensive 0:18:51.640 --> 0:18:53.280 tackles the Bills had on their roster last. 0:18:53.200 --> 0:18:55.160 Year and he had made some made some All Rookie 0:18:55.200 --> 0:18:55.960 teams this year. 0:18:56.080 --> 0:18:58.200 He was a really good player that had a very 0:18:58.240 --> 0:19:01.480 good season, and I you gotta have high hopes for 0:19:01.560 --> 0:19:05.359 him going forward. Yep, stuff like that in the mix. 0:19:05.800 --> 0:19:06.760 I do think. 0:19:06.640 --> 0:19:14.960 Though, that at important high priced positions like edge rusher, 0:19:16.080 --> 0:19:19.159 like wide receiver, where the Bills aren't going to be 0:19:19.200 --> 0:19:22.159 able to pay a premium in free agency because of 0:19:22.200 --> 0:19:26.240 their cap situation. To improve those positions, those have to 0:19:26.280 --> 0:19:31.840 be acquired in the draft. So I think, look, we 0:19:31.960 --> 0:19:34.520 know Brandon being and how he operates. He tries to 0:19:34.600 --> 0:19:38.440 fill as many of the perceived positional holes as best 0:19:38.440 --> 0:19:41.520 he can in free agency, so he doesn't feel backed 0:19:41.520 --> 0:19:44.080 into a corner in the draft when he's on the 0:19:44.119 --> 0:19:48.200 clock because there's a glaring positional need. That's how he's operated. 0:19:49.000 --> 0:19:53.159 But knowing that he's going to be under some measure 0:19:53.200 --> 0:19:56.919 of financial constraints, I think he's going to choose to 0:19:56.960 --> 0:20:01.440 fill some of the lower priced position hol in free agency, 0:20:02.160 --> 0:20:07.080 and maybe not to the same degree positions like edge receiver, 0:20:08.119 --> 0:20:12.280 corner that are high priced positions that right now you 0:20:12.320 --> 0:20:14.720 can't spend a premium at those spots because of your 0:20:14.720 --> 0:20:17.320 cap situation and all the money you're paying, Josh, you 0:20:17.480 --> 0:20:19.879 got to hit it out of the park in the 0:20:20.000 --> 0:20:23.560 draft at those spots, and to our point earlier, you 0:20:23.600 --> 0:20:25.639 probably have to move up the board to get a 0:20:25.640 --> 0:20:30.520 premiere edge rusher. You can probably find a quality receiver somewhere. 0:20:30.880 --> 0:20:32.240 It's a good receiver draft is. 0:20:32.400 --> 0:20:33.800 Yet up to the middle of the first you can 0:20:33.920 --> 0:20:36.359 you're gonna get a good a good wide out. The 0:20:36.400 --> 0:20:38.600 middle of the first is a hit and miss. Whether 0:20:38.600 --> 0:20:41.480 you can find a defensive playmaker. That's a difference maker. 0:20:43.560 --> 0:20:48.399 Knowing cab space Steve could limit free agent spending. Do 0:20:48.440 --> 0:20:54.679 you believe their coaching search could or would prioritize choosing 0:20:54.760 --> 0:20:59.119 a coach who might change the least scheme wise, so 0:20:59.240 --> 0:21:02.959 as not to create more work and potentially more cost 0:21:03.480 --> 0:21:08.440 in getting the roster fits necessary to fit scheme changes. 0:21:09.920 --> 0:21:13.560 That's a really good question. I don't. I don't think 0:21:13.800 --> 0:21:18.080 they will. It will affect their decision about the head coach. 0:21:18.160 --> 0:21:20.960 It'll be consideration, and it'll be a it'll be a 0:21:23.200 --> 0:21:27.080 factor going forward. But if they feel like they've got 0:21:27.080 --> 0:21:30.000 the right head coach, they won't care what his philosophy is. 0:21:30.160 --> 0:21:33.879 That's that's something you can you can adjust to on 0:21:33.920 --> 0:21:36.600 the fly. I think that's a secondary consideration. I don't 0:21:36.600 --> 0:21:37.800 think it would affect the decision. 0:21:37.800 --> 0:21:40.879 I would tend to agree it's not the top priority. 0:21:42.320 --> 0:21:45.280 I will say this, though, Let's say, and this is 0:21:45.359 --> 0:21:49.159 just purely a hypothetical, the only way I could see 0:21:49.200 --> 0:21:53.080 something like that coming into play is if they're down 0:21:53.119 --> 0:21:59.280 to two candidates and they are razor thin. The difference 0:21:59.280 --> 0:22:03.959 between them is negligible, and one of them would create 0:22:04.160 --> 0:22:11.280 less disruption to scheme and personnel. I think that might 0:22:11.359 --> 0:22:13.520 tip the scale in favor of one over the other. 0:22:13.560 --> 0:22:17.320 But that's only if you have two guys that are Deady's. 0:22:17.040 --> 0:22:19.040 Hard for me. It's hard for me to envision two 0:22:19.080 --> 0:22:22.239 candidates being that close, right, what it would being that 0:22:22.359 --> 0:22:27.000 close would probably mean there is a larger difference than 0:22:27.040 --> 0:22:31.119 just scheme, because you'll have guys we know who the 0:22:31.440 --> 0:22:34.639 handful of people are making the decision for the Bills, 0:22:34.720 --> 0:22:38.359 Terry Brandon, you know Josh, you know me, Gang, the 0:22:38.359 --> 0:22:40.000 whole gang, The whole gang is going to be in there. 0:22:40.400 --> 0:22:42.399 The guys making that decision will probably will probably be 0:22:42.480 --> 0:22:45.720 some pushback on both sides about which guy they should take, 0:22:45.760 --> 0:22:48.800 and that's going to be the more, Yeah, the more. 0:22:49.119 --> 0:22:51.800 And to your point, the most important thing is to 0:22:51.840 --> 0:22:54.800 get the right leader for the team. If the schemes 0:22:54.840 --> 0:22:58.200 have to change, the schemes have to change. We transition 0:22:58.320 --> 0:23:01.000 to the numbers game, where Steve will be quizzed on 0:23:01.240 --> 0:23:07.840 off season acquisition activity. Here we go question number one, Steve, 0:23:08.040 --> 0:23:11.480 and we go to the very near past, so we're 0:23:11.520 --> 0:23:15.800 not digging too deep into history here. Question one, you 0:23:15.880 --> 0:23:20.040 had to guess how many unrestricted free agents did the 0:23:20.040 --> 0:23:23.359 Bill sign last offseason that we're new to the roster. 0:23:23.480 --> 0:23:24.560