Buffalo Bills’ 2022 rookie class shows promise

[Woodman]

https://www.buffalorumblings.com/2023/1/25/23570218/buffalo-bills-rookies-2022-kaiir-elam-khalil-shakir-james-cook

Kaiir Elam, CBFor as loud (in a good way) that Elam’s play was in Buffalo’s wild card win over the Miami Dolphins (https://www.thephinsider.com/), he was rarely involved over the course of the broadcast against the Bengals. Instead, Joe Burrow and Cincinnati’s offense elected to attack Buffalo’s linebackers and veteran corners Dane Jackson and Tre’Davious White. As we’ve said multiple times throughout the course of the season, having a quiet game at the cornerback position is a good thing.


James Cook, RBSome bright spots during the course of the regular season didn’t carry over into the playoffs for Cook. Offensive coordinator Ken Dorsey was forced into playing a script predicated on passing the ball and doing nearly everything through quarterback Josh Allen.


Khalil Shakir, WRShakir was the Bills’ second leading receiver in this game, posting two receptions for 40 yards on two targets. Shakir was clearly more involved in the twilight of the 2022 season, while his overall play was enough for promise to remain strong heading into 2023. His talent shone through such that he’s a likely candidate to factor heavily into the receiver rotation next season. Wide receiver will be discussed often as a position of need for Buffalo this offseason.


Christian Benford, CBBenford was a healthy inactive once again. He never factored into the lineup after returning from Injured Reserve for the second time. Head coach Sean McDermott mentioned him as a potential position-change candidate in his end-of-season press conference.

[BuffaloBlitz83]

https://www.buffalorumblings.com/2023/1/25/23570218/buffalo-bills-rookies-2022-kaiir-elam-khalil-shakir-james-cook

Kaiir Elam, CBFor as loud (in a good way) that Elam’s play was in Buffalo’s wild card win over the Miami Dolphins (https://www.thephinsider.com/), he was rarely involved over the course of the broadcast against the Bengals. Instead, Joe Burrow and Cincinnati’s offense elected to attack Buffalo’s linebackers and veteran corners Dane Jackson and Tre’Davious White. As we’ve said multiple times throughout the course of the season, having a quiet game at the cornerback position is a good thing.


James Cook, RBSome bright spots during the course of the regular season didn’t carry over into the playoffs for Cook. Offensive coordinator Ken Dorsey was forced into playing a script predicated on passing the ball and doing nearly everything through quarterback Josh Allen.


Khalil Shakir, WRShakir was the Bills’ second leading receiver in this game, posting two receptions for 40 yards on two targets. Shakir was clearly more involved in the twilight of the 2022 season, while his overall play was enough for promise to remain strong heading into 2023. His talent shone through such that he’s a likely candidate to factor heavily into the receiver rotation next season. Wide receiver will be discussed often as a position of need for Buffalo this offseason.


Christian Benford, CBBenford was a healthy inactive once again. He never factored into the lineup after returning from Injured Reserve for the second time. Head coach Sean McDermott mentioned him as a potential position-change candidate in his end-of-season press conference.

I agree I like them all. I just don't see Pro Bowl ceiling on any of the 3. Maybe Cook can develop into that.

[sahlensguy]

If we got 4 starter/solid backups every draft who we would sign to a second contract, we'd be in good shape. Need more physicality/size in them though.

B

Not enough to make up for past draft class failures.

[sukie]

If we got 4 starter/solid backups every draft who we would sign to a second contract, we'd be in good shape. Need more physicality/size in them though.

B

Not enough to make up for past draft class failures.
Hitting on 4 is definitely making up for past failures since there is nothing you can do about that. Promising class.

[Woodman]

Hitting on 4 is definitely making up for past failures since there is nothing you can do about that. Promising class.
Agreed I'd take those numbers every draft.

[Forward_Lateral]

I would be ok with Elam/Benford and Tre on the other side next year, if Tre looks as slow as he did this year, replace him with one of the two.

Shakir SHOULD get a major opportunity next season. He looked pretty good at times, down the stretch. If he can be a high catch % guy, he will have a nice career.

Cook is going to be a stud, IMO.

[OpIv37]

I agree I like them all. I just don't see Pro Bowl ceiling on any of the 3. Maybe Cook can develop into that.

With the Bills' current O, I can't see any RB making the Pro Bowl. They just don't get enough touches. He'd have to have multiple 20+ yard touchdown runs and that's so rare in the NFL.

[Forward_Lateral]

With the Bills' current O, I can't see any RB making the Pro Bowl. They just don't get enough touches. He'd have to have multiple 20+ yard touchdown runs and that's so rare in the NFL.

Someone needs to get John Elway on the phone to explain to Buffalo that he didn't win a superbowl until they had a legit running game

[sukie]

With the Bills' current O, I can't see any RB making the Pro Bowl. They just don't get enough touches. He'd have to have multiple 20+ yard touchdown runs and that's so rare in the NFL.

Agreed on pro bowl and really who cares anyway? But Cook has hands. Imagine the prior Super Bowl runs without throwing to Thurman except every 3rd game. Dammit Dorsey!

[Novacane]

It was a good draft. Their problem is drafting big men. They aren't good at it.

[notacon]

The most promising pick out of these is Benford because he was a 6th rounder.. He looked better than Elam before he got hurt, and could develop into a reliable starting CB.

With Elam (hopefully) getting better for next season, and nailing down a starting CB spot, it might be time to trade Tre’ White. He is not getting any younger, and it is doubtful we will ever see him return to his pre-injury excellence.

His cap number is HUGE the next three years....$16.2M, $16.6M & $16.6M. A pst June 1 trade would save $10M in cap space for 2023.

Maybe they could get a 3rd round pick for him....maybe even a #2? He is still relatively young (28), although his contract may be an issue.

[ParanoidAndroid]

Looks like maybe a shift to safety for Benford? I like it. He looked much better facing the offense. He's a solid tackler as well. That's why he played.

[OpIv37]

The most promising pick out of these is Benford because he was a 6th rounder.. He looked better than Elam before he got hurt, and could develop into a reliable starting CB.

With Elam (hopefully) getting better for next season, and nailing down a starting CB spot, it might be time to trade Tre’ White. He is not getting any younger, and it is doubtful we will ever see him return to his pre-injury excellence.

His cap number is HUGE the next three years....$16.2M, $16.6M & $16.6M. A pst June 1 trade would save $10M in cap space for 2023.

Maybe they could get a 3rd round pick for him....maybe even a #2? He is still relatively young (28), although his contract may be an issue.
If he was playing at pre-injury levels, you could probably trade him with that contract.

Given how he's played since coming back, I can't see any other team taking him at those numbers.

[EDS]

I Think Elam is a good bet to be a longer term starter but the others appear more like depth pieces, and Benford only if he takes to safety. Cook looks good for the most part but he has never been a volume guy so hard to project him into a lead back role.

[Jeff1220]

I trust that Tre will find his old self again. He was out for a whole year. He worked his ass off to get healthy, and I'm sure he'll work his ass off to get his speed back. His contract is an issue though. I'll bet a restructure is in his future.

[Typ0]

How is it that Dorsey was forced to not run the ball?

[ParanoidAndroid]

We all knew that Tre wasn't going to be 100% at any point this year.

If he looks shaky next August, then it'll be time to worry.

[Ed]

I think Elam and Benford will be key starters in the secondary that provide good value on rookie deals over the next few years. I expect Cook and Shakir will be bigger contributors too. I'm happy with all those picks, but I still don't understand Bernard in the 3rd. Seems like they could have done a lot better with that pick.

[ParanoidAndroid]

Baylon Spector could end up being better than Bernard. My eyes tell me he already seems to have better instincts and better tackling ability in the open field.

[TacklingDummy]

2022 was much better than 2021. 2021 was awful.

[Forward_Lateral]

We all knew that Tre wasn't going to be 100% at any point this year.

If he looks shaky next August, then it'll be time to worry.
No, we didn't.

If he wasn't going to be near 100%, he should've stayed on IR. He actually hurt the team by coming back and sucking.

[sahlensguy]

No, we didn't.

If he wasn't going to be near 100%, he should've stayed on IR. He actually hurt the team by coming back and sucking.

Idk. Even Elam went down for a game I think. We needed warm bodies.

[Woodman]

If he wasn't going to be near 100%, he should've stayed on IR. He actually hurt the team by coming back and sucking.

He was definitely targeted and taken advantage of.

Next season we should get our shutdown corner back.

[ParanoidAndroid]

No, we didn't.

If he wasn't going to be near 100%, he should've stayed on IR. He actually hurt the team by coming back and sucking.

:rolleyes:
It is pretty standard that players are less explosive coming off of ACL rehab. They almost always take a second off-season to get it all back.

[Mace]

No, we didn't.

If he wasn't going to be near 100%, he should've stayed on IR. He actually hurt the team by coming back and sucking.

Or, they hurt themselves by hurrying him back and throwing him in. Remember...there was some delay with him coming back, because people even started wondering if he was babying himself. It was the Bills who made impatient noises.

[Mace]

I'm pretty happy with Cook, Elam, Shakir and Benford, but frustrated with their use.

Cook was on a pace twice for a 100 yard game and they stopped giving him the ball both times. On the other hand, there were games he couldn't get started and they kept giving him the ball. When a guy heats up, you stick with the hot hand and let him roll. He was drafted as a playmaker, they did nothing to get him the ball in space, no screens, few passes. The guy has speed, he's a mismatch waiting to happen every play. Then they get Hines, who is the same, and don't use him that way either. You can even throw them out wide to mess up a defense. But no.

Elam is huge, because he can play man and press along with zone. That gives them options. Did they often attempt to use that option ? No, they did not. They faced a weaker bunch of qbs where they could have gained him some exp, but again, no.

Benford is bang for the buck, and it would be great if safety is an option, he's got good size.

Shakir, again, there was no benefit to not playing him more with the way everyone was dropping balls. They brought back Beasley and Brown, like why were they not throwing to Shakir ?

Read somewhere earlier in the year, someone had said players can't get better through experience if they aren't playing. I think this also goes back to McDermott who is reluctant to trust young players and prefers him some old guys instead. He can't stay away from them.

Anyway, 4 promising players. Play them.

[YardRat]

Of course Tre' wasn't going to be the same player this season coming off the injury, anybody that didn't know that should have. Has nothing to do with 'health' per se, even 100% healthy and able to play isn't going to translate to 100% of the level of performance we are used to seeing because the mental aspect of the game takes more time to catch up. And it's certainly a possibility that Tre' never returns to his prior form, that's a pretty devastating injury for a corner.

[Mr. Pink]

Elam doesn't fit our defensive scheme.

Cook is an average NFL RB

Shakir is a bottom of the roster NFL WR

Benford is a guy who was a healthy scratch at times

It's not a good draft looking at it right now but with how bad the drafts prior to it were, it definitely looks better.

[Mace]

Elam can play zone or man, or press. You lost me that he doesn't fit the scheme. They actually played man 9 times last game because they could, and Burrow was 2-9 for 14 yards.

[Woodman]

Elam can play zone or man, or press. You lost me that he doesn't fit the scheme. They actually played man 9 times last game because they could, and Burrow was 2-9 for 14 yards.

Elam ..... I'd take him all over again.

[sahlensguy]

Elam ..... I'd take him all over again.

Over Linderbaum?

[Woodman]

Over Linderbaum?

They were stuck on CB I myself have been begging for the Center position.

They weren't going there and I don't know why so as far as CB goes I like Elam.

If I controlled the draft I'd have taken the Center.

[sahlensguy]

They were stuck on CB I myself have been begging for the Center position.

They weren't going there and I don't know why so as far as CB goes I like Elam.

If I controlled the draft I'd have taken the Center.

Lindy would have been a big step in the right direction.

As it was, we traded up with the Ravens to get Elam. Essentially it was the rights for Lindrbaum and a 4th round pick for Elam.

Awful.

[Woodman]

Lindy would have been a big step in the right direction.

As it was, we traded up with the Ravens to get Elam. Essentially it was the rights for Lindrbaum and a 4th round pick for Elam.

Awful.

I hated it then and now ..... just tossing the 4th away IMO.

We gotta get better at this draft thing for damn sure.

[sahlensguy]

I hated it then and now ..... just tossing the 4th away IMO.

We gotta get better at this draft thing for damn sure.

Not to mention the 5th we gave away and drafted Cody Ford over Dalton Risner (UFA, so well see...), when we probably could have stayed pat. Beane did get a 5th back in trading Ford to the Cardinals though...

[Woodman]

Not to mention the 5th we gave away and drafted Cody Ford over Dalton Risner (UFA, so well see...), when we probably could have stayed pat. Beane did get a 5th back in trading Ford to the Cardinals though...
I still haven't forgiven moving up to get Edmunds either.

[acehole]

I agree I like them all. I just don't see Pro Bowl ceiling on any of the 3. Maybe Cook can develop into that.


I saw two runs from him during the buttgals game that he was hoping to just drop.

No Sense of urgency....

Compare the energy to the rookie back last night fighting for their team.

Someone put valumm in the gatoraid

[DraftBoy]

The Bills took two bigger CB’s that are better in man coverage than zone. Benford moving to FS makes some sense, but I don’t yet see what the plan is with Elam. He’s not a great fit for our scheme and seemed to lose his spot after his injury before other injuries gave it back to him.

I think Cook could be a good part of a RB combo long-term and Shakir as a 3 or 4 WR provides decent depth and strong route running.

Overall not bad, but it doesn’t appear to be a generational class.

[Woodman]

Agreed on pro bowl and really who cares anyway? But Cook has hands. Imagine the prior Super Bowl runs without throwing to Thurman except every 3rd game. Dammit Dorsey!
Spread the wealth it works!!!!!!

[YardRat]

Over Linderbaum?

They should have taken Humphrey instead of Basham the year before.

Elam will work well if they move on from Frazier and get rid of the back-off-and-let-them-get-the-first-down defense.

[jamze132]

I still can’t get over all the wasted DE picks. Epinesa and Basham have not lived up to their draft status and are teetering on busy. Rousseau hasn’t shown he can be “the guy” since he pretty much fell off after Von went down. They’re still young but I would have liked to see more from them.

[Historian]

Of course Tre' wasn't going to be the same player this season coming off the injury, anybody that didn't know that should have. Has nothing to do with 'health' per se, even 100% healthy and able to play isn't going to translate to 100% of the level of performance we are used to seeing because the mental aspect of the game takes more time to catch up. And it's certainly a possibility that Tre' never returns to his prior form, that's a pretty devastating injury for a corner.

Buffalo has had some bad luck with, what were lockdown corners in their history, losing them to injury I mean.

I think of Robert James tearing a knee in his prime.

Derrick Burroughs hurting his neck in his prime.

Marlon Kerner tearing his knee.

Now Tre White.

I'm sure there have been others.

[ParanoidAndroid]

Passing on Creed Humphrey for Basham was maddening at the time. Now I hate it more.

Before that was the trade down that gave KC Patrick Mahomes.

And then we got to watch two KC 7th rounders, Watson and Pacheco, become playoff impact players.

Are they that lucky or are they just that smart?

Everything they do seems to work while we spin our wheels and hope Josh Allen can make it happen.

Harrumph.

But put a shine on some okay picks and talk about the bright bright future.

[Woodman]

The Reid system drafts on the fit ...... speed means a lot with him.

He know's how to exploit skills and take advantage.

They scout based on that qualifier.

Reid's use of a player like Edmunds would be different than how we use him.

[jamze132]

The Reid system drafts on the fit ...... speed means a lot with him.

He know's how to exploit skills and take advantage.

They scout based on that qualifier.

Reid's use of a player like Edmunds would be different than how we use him.

Exactly. Speed kills and we need more of it.

[Woodman]

Exactly. Speed kills and we need more of it.
A great O-Line wouldn't hurt either.