The Buffalo’s Bills offseason moves have the makings of a rollercoaster that never stops. In August, General Manager Brandon Beane traded top talents, Sammy Watkins and Ronald Darby. Reggie Ragland is now with the Kansas City Chiefs. Cornerback Kevon Seymour was shipped off last week to the Carolina Panthers. This past Sunday, running back Jonathan Williams, who put up a great pre-season got cut from the team. For many fans, the Bills now feel like a gutted team with little chance of posting a winning record and competing in the Afc East. Is it time for Bills’ owner Terry Pegula to snatch the reins from Beane?
Breaking the Sammy Watkins- Tyrod Taylor connection
With the waiting game that the Buffalo Bills played with Tyrod Taylor and his new contract, making sure that he has decent weapons on offense is not a courtesy, but a necessity. Taylor paid to have Sammy Watkins come down to Atlanta during the offseason and catch passes from him. Their chemistry was essential if the Bills were going to have a solid 2017 season. The departure of Robert Woods, Marquise Goodwin, and Justin Hunter left gaping holes in the team’s wide receiving core. Beane decided to trade Watkins after the first pre-season game and bring in Jordan Matthews, who has not practiced much after getting injured in his first Bills’ practice.
Most teams cut older, pricier veterans, not young talent.
The week-end after the trade, several fights erupted during Buffalo’s training camp. Taylor’s posted a QB rating of 12% in a game against the Philadelphia Eagles and performed poorly. Wide receiver Anquan Boldin retired after being with Buffalo for only 13 days. Tyrod Taylor’s concussion has stolen the time needed to get comfortable with new receivers.
Forcing Taylor to throw from the pocket, which happened in the pre-season games, is not his style. Is Terry Pegula happy with the way the Bills offense is progressing? Examining Beane’s pattern, a trade of LeSean McCoy would probably not surprise anyone. If Pegula knew McCoy was on the chopping block, would he stop it?
Jonathan Williams surprise cut
According to the Bleacher Report, Jonathan Williams had 21 rushes for 121 yards during the pre-season. That was the best for Buffalo’s running backs. While he may have been weak on special teams, Williams was a solid back-up for McCoy. Cutting him does not make sense. He is young and would not be making much money. Plus, special teams are just one or two plays per series versus the number of plays needed to move the offense down the field to score. McDermott and Beane keep stressing special teams, but does every back-up need to be excellent on them? This is something that Pegula needs to consider and ask himself if the strong emphasis on special teams is worth the offensive losses to Buffalo.
Running backs Joe Banyard and Mike Tolbert posted average pre-season numbers. Tolbert, a 32- year old veteran is now one of McCoy’s back-up guys. Tolbert only put up 114 yards with Carolina last year, as stated by CBS Sports.com. Is it wise to keep older guys with less speed? Pegula needs to think about these decisions.
Lack of experience at the top
In almost every interview and press conference that coach Sean McDermott gives, he tells fans to “trust the process.” That is a tall order for a first-time head coach. GM Brandon Beane has also never been a general manager before Buffalo. The decrease in talent on the roster puts Buffalo in a bad AFC East situation.
Some fans are skeptical about the team cuts and trades.
Said Jim from Orchard Park on “The John Murphy Show” yesterday, “Not happy with what I’m seeing. I think the team that’s going to take the field Sunday is less talented and more likely to have fewer wins than the team that finished last year. I continually see us trading young talent and picking up less talent.”
The Buffalo Bills face the New York Jets in New Era Field on Sunday.
