Bills probably not better, Diggs thanks BUF, Stroud to challenge Mahomes? | NFL | FIRST THINGS FIRST

hot show hot show live from New York

it's the show that's looking for a

branded coffee sponsorship what do you

think about that like first things first

that by us I'm going to talk to the

sales department if you own a coffee

company he huh we going get a lot of air

time it's first things first today yeah

cut some more guys and get even better

no and that that's why Josh and Shawn

mcdermit needed to find try to find a

way to make this work because there is

no immediate benefit

like there you didn't get cap relief

this year you didn't all of a sudden

open up more snaps for you know a young

position group that like what the

Packers have where it's like man we have

more wide receivers than we have you

know passes available you didn't even

get a return this season no you know

what I mean your the draft pick you have

comes a year from now and I'm not trying

to act as if the bills shouldn't be

concerned about a year and two years and

three years from now of course you

should always be doing some long-term

planning but you get no immediate

benefit with significant drawback with

the only real so then why why did they

do it is of course the question and it's

because the benefit they feel is getting

Stefan out of the building the benefit

is the toxicity of the culture or the

relationships and so then I just go to

Josh and MC and sha mcder even if Stefan

is the common denominator of the

problems from Minnesota to here he also

is right now a person that the bills

need more than he needs the bills

because nobody's looking at Stefan digs

saying oh he's in bad shape now it's

worked out great it has worked out great

for him and he gets his money and be cuz

here's the problem brw they don't have

any good options so they are not I don't

believe they have any chance of trading

for T Higgins because I don't think

Cincinnati will do it maybe they could

trade their first round pick for Brandon

iuk but but they clearly don't want to

add another super expensive salary

that's why puyer and Hyde and Trey white

and those guys they had to get rid of

him okay so they'll draft a guy at 28

well that's a problem as well because

you know that Marvin Harrison Neighbors

in ad dunesday are going top 10 or at

least top 12 you know those three are

gone so then you're just hoping that you

go almost 20 picks of the draft with no

receivers taken so you can draft wide

receiver four or more likely you end up

drafting wide receiver five or six like

that's not a path and I'm not saying

it's not doable and you can't get a good

player right but so they have no great

options here brew and they have no

immediate replacement and obviously

they're not better so that's the problem

the thing is they I'm sure they did try

I mean I I think that's why for a big

reason why Stefan was on the team last

year cuz this isn't new remember it

began last year and maybe even before

before that I mean the playoffs was

obviously the year before so I I think

they tried everything they could um and

for whatever reason Stefan just he

remained a pro and I do think it was

primarily Stefan I mean we've talked we

talked about it when it happened but if

if a family member that's close to you

tweet something out then if you if it's

not true or if you really want to shoot

it down you go out and you shoot it down

in no uncertain terms all right you

don't just say oh that wasn't me no no

shoot it down and so I I do think they

felt that's the only reason because like

you said there's no present day there's

no uh present benefit for it but look it

sounds silly when he says are we better

now no all right but look the bills I'm

not gonna kill any they went for it Nick

they went for it all right they're doing

they did what Houston is doing that true

they did what Cincinnati did they did

what uh uh uh San Francisco is doing

they did what Kansas City did yeah yes

when you have a quarterback on his

rookie deal who's really good you go for

it and they went for it and the problem

is that they didn't get a Super Bowl

they didn't even get to a Super Bowl and

but after it happens win or lose you got

to tear it down and so now they're

tearing it down the good thing for them

is they still have Josh Allen and for

all his Wards and really it's one he's

Reckless with the football he's still

but he's still a great quarterback he's

got more touchdowns than any quarterback

you look at this graphic since 2019 by a

wide margin by 23 you see Mahomes is

second now obviously that includes

rushing touchdowns what a graphic look

at that it's momes and folks that he

would not be in the same room with

except for well remember hold on Russ

it's since

2019 so Russ is obviously a lot of that

Seattle Kurt cousin has been prolific I

it's just take Aaron Rogers is is one

two nbp was since 2019 no correlation

between touchdowns and winning football

see I'm just say no y'all can Mo the

bills have been a winning team they just

haven't been able to get

over has been a winning team this is I

don't think it includes playoffs so that

good in the regular season and Rogers

you know so can I give a different

Silver Lining quickly wild yeah and then

I have one too yeah who is the not Brett

Favre who is the quarterback you

compared uh Josh to yesterday modern

quarterback oh cam cam Cam Newton yeah

well I was saying if they're gonna have

him run more and he's gonna take more

hits right that that's but I'm not

talking some similarities yes of course

so this is what Cam went through they

got rid of Steve Smith and then they

ended up bringing in Kelvin Benjamin

through a late draft pick now that next

year there's kind of a sweet and sour to

this for Bills fans that very next year

the Panthers were seven8 and one and cam

took a step back now they did wi their

division and actually won a playoff game

as the NFC South was brutal then similar

to how it is now it's brutal a lot at

the time the year and so it was like hey

we don't need Steve Smith he's a bit of

a headache Steve Smith ended up going on

playing a lot more years by the way they

brought in Kelvin Benjamin with a late

round draft pick they had Greg Olen a

tight end we know the bills like their

tight end the next year Cam and the team

took a step back the year after that was

the 15-1 in MVP season and so that was

Cam's career it was you know what I mean

every roll Co yeah exactly and so so the

point that I'm making is the player that

you know you were saying there's some

stylistic similarities too went through

some Steph Ruiz pointed this out on

Twitter yesterday I thought of I was

like oh he's right and I went and looked

and so the very next year cam did suffer

significantly but the year after that

without their big investment wide

receiver that year was Ted gin just a

deep threat had the best year of his

career I like Ted good um so here's

another glass hat full look at it Joe

Brady wants to run granted was OC at LSU

or passing game coordinator I think it's

like air it out goes to Carolina doesn't

really work but when he took control of

that offense he decided to throw the

ball the least and run the most and it's

worked went seven- two their rushing

percentage was the most in the league at

51 and great there not huge like the

lowest is you know 47 or something but

uh rushing the game first rushing yards

third rushing TI's third and Allan had

48 designed runs or sneaks in that span

which is the most of anybody Brew so I

know you're worried about the the injury

component of that but it feels like Joe

Brady saw um uh Josh Allen be a

gunslinger and have it there be a

ceiling on this like you know what let's

just run the ball this is what you're

great at and it you know they went seven

and two with them so I assume they're

going to try to do that this year and

maybe sounds mean but they didn't need

Stefon no I I think they saw

I think that's one of the things that

convinced them they could move on from

Stu we always say it if you're producing

we'll put up with the distractions and

the problems but if you're not then we

won't and and Brady I I'll give Brady

credit to Joe Brady he seems to be the

type of guy to adjust to his Personnel

because you mentioned LSU and they would

throw the football like this I think

he's making an adjustment and saying cuz

I don't think he's one of those guys

that's always got to run the football

but I think he's saying in this

situation

let's do it and another guy I have

compared Jos to a little bit John Elway

remember he won his Super Bowls when

they had Terell Davis later on so I I I

don't think that's a bad thing a lot of

12 personnel with the two tight ends run

the football and Josh will throw it but

you limit the the mistakes that he's

going to make in the air yeah so I

disagree with all of that how can he

because so I don't think Joe Brady I

agree with you he will adjust I don't

think Joe Brady was running the football

because it's what he wanted to do I

think it's Joe bir was run the football

because he wanted to be named the

full-time offensive coordinator which he

was and he knows that's what mcdermit

wants and I think this entire you think

he'll switch it up I no no no I think

they I think he is going to keep doing

it I just don't think it is I I the

right now especially the best thing the

bills have going for him warts and all

is Josh Allen and all of a sudden asking

him to be a game manager is not the way

I don't think he was a game manager at

the end cuz he he's running a lot too

and he will throw it and that's the

other thing that I think is not how you

spend your how you use your franchise

quarterback put him in that type of Jey

but I want to be very clear here I do

not think the bills becoming a run first

team is the way through for them I do

think that Bru take which was that Shawn

McDermot should have been on a hotter

seat than he was I think that has aged

very well because I think there is an

alternate path here where they even

though they had the great end of season

they look at it and they say you know

what this ain't the guy we need to bring

in an offensive coach that maybe that

can salvage the Stefon Diggs

relationship maybe it maybe you bring in

whether it's the Detroit offensive

coordinator everybody loves who name Ben

Ben Johnson or maybe you steal Bobby SLO

away from Houston somebody somebody

would want to Coach Josh on the

offensive side Stefan then you have a

new relationship because evidently he

and mcder went on the same page and you

say we're going to utilize our biggest

weapon and it is my job to do what D did

which is get the the highs without all

the lows I think they have a defensive

minded conservative nervous head coach

that wanted to run the ball run the ball

the offensive coordinator wanted to

impress him because he's the one to get

that was going to name him I understand

no I know it worked in the shortterm I

don't think that is longterm what the

bills want to be and their highest

upside I don't think they're going to

ever beat the Chiefs by being like we're

going to ground and pound you guys I

don't I don't think that's going to

happen that was look obviously they you

lose you lose but that was a good

playoff game I mean they lost by three

you know what I mean and they they

outplayed the Chiefs for a good chunk of

that game they yeah they also yeah I

mean they also were about to go down 10

in the fourth quarter and even though

that fumble happened they still lost the

game like I just I don't know I I think

that's the wrong approach personally but

it's the coach it's the approach Shawn

mcder wants and I think it's a mistake

and jeie loves it I love man but I I'd

hire him to coach a lot of teams but not

Josh Allen meanwhile Stan Diggs took to

Instagram to do what you may ask lowkey

diss Josh Allen again no to thank the

City of Buffalo I can't begin to express

the amount of love and respect I have

for the City of Buffalo four of the best

years of my life the city welcomed me

with open arms I'm forever grateful for

you all and the Buffalo Bills

organization exclamation point here's

stefon's raw stats the last few years

Brew uh last six seasons still pretty

productive if I mix those up doesn't

seem to be any real fall off always had

at least like I say had six but

basically eight touchdowns are you

expecting a monster Year from Stefan

this year no I'm expecting a good year

oh I'm expecting a good year and I know

look and we have the graphic when he

went from Minnesota which was his Worst

season to his last year there to his

first season with Buffalo you see he

basically doubled his production in

terms of receptions and obviously Big

Time improvement with the yard so he was

great so some people are expecting that

I think you have a good year I think

monster is too strong because he's

certainly the number one receiver in

name Nico Collins had a really nice year

Nico Collins is bigger than Stefan Diggs

obviously much younger he's only in his

fourth season about the same speed or I

don't even know if Stefan's as fast as

Nico now they both R in a 4440 at the

combine and St that was a long time ago

for Stan so my point is I mean Nico was

almost 17 yards a catch last year and so

I think I'm not saying Stan's not gonna

be number one okay but I think they they

got a lot of weapons tank Dell's going

to get the football uh Nico's going to

get the football you got Joe Mixon

running and catching the football and so

SCH yeah I I think that here's the

challenge Stefan has been one of he's

been second in the league in targets

over the last five years to Devonte Adam

he's averaged 160 targets a year still

not happy right so he's not getting I

don't think he gets close to that Nick

next year think think has to make sure

he he stays cool so I do think he's

going to have an excellent year uh I

think it'll might be the last great year

of his career because wide receivers

over 30 it historically you know don't

farewell he turns do you think it's it's

probably a little different now guys are

but even even last year you look at it

it was like Thelen and Kelsey were the

only guys over 32 that were doing much

of anything Devonte Adams I think was 32

I got a graphic here older older uh uh

wide receivers on their first year it's

DeAndre it's 31 I think you said 32 so

we thought DeAndre

was washed adjacent maybe he was good

he's not what he used to be I yeah I

think he is in rout to that yes yeah

just yeah yeah so but he had a good

that's a good year that's a solid year

for you know no quarterback quarterback

kind of Carousel I think he's going to

have a a big year I am very nervous I

watched um the shopnick when Stefon was

on and one of the reasons he said he

wanted to leave Minnesota was because he

didn't want to be number two to Adam

thielen yeah and that's what was really

getting him upset so the idea that he's

upset in Buffalo and now going to go to

Houston and be number two number one in

name no I don't listen I don't think

that I think Nico Collins has a

potential to one day be a true number

one he is not in today's NFL yet a true

number one now Diggs might be on his way

out of being a true number one the

question is cuz last year the first half

dozen games he was as productive as ever

as any stretch of his career and then

out of nowhere it went away and so it

was very clear and it was well before

Joe Brady took over so but here's what I

think he's going to benefit from quickly

one is he's never had this much talent

around him in his time as Buffalo as he

does now in Buffalo they were just

doubling him every play yeah you know I

shouldn't say that that every play is

not true that was the chief strategy

when they played him was double him and

that's why Gab has had the monster

playoff game that he's still living off

of and other things but I the so I think

you're not going to be able to do that

there I also think and Josh cook this up

appreciate it Josh we can show you they

deep down the field last year CJ was

unbelievable and Josh struggled mightily

and so can Stefon Diggs take advantage

of some of that a little bit more and I

do like chip on your shoulder angry Diva

wide receiver at least for a year like

they historically speaking that can work

really well in the short term and Bru

point yesterday that was the Texans have

no long-term commitment to him so if it

goes Sarah that's fine but I think he'll

be he'll get the easiest coverages he's

gotten really solid quarterback play

smart offensive coordinating which I

don't know that he's gotten so yeah I

think for a year he'll be a very very

good weapon I buy that all right let's

check in on stefon's new home and CJ

strad who's now in some good company

according to Chief's Insider Pete

Sweeney now Sweeney put up this tweet of

for shows one of them just absolutely

great uh we'll miss you good morning

football is uh all with the same basic

questions is Watson Mahomes the next QB

rivalry or is it Lamar versus Mahomes or

Allen versus Mahomes or burrow versus

Mahomes so s's like oh st's up uh so

Brew do you think this is now strad

versus momes well look I I think as I

said yesterday Kansas City and Baltimore

to me are the top tier of the AFC I

think Cincinnati and Houston are right

there below them um but but and I'm not

going to sit here and say CJ stra right

now definitely is better than Lamar and

Josh and Joe burrow let's not forget

about him but what I will say is he has

something in his favor in this type of

argument or debate that all of them lack

so he's a better passor than Lamar we we

would agree right he's an outright

better passor than Lamar Jackson Josh

Allen he's more poised and he doesn't

make the mistakes that Josh Allen makes

CJ stra last year led the league in

interception percentage which was 1.0 I

mean very that's a great intercep no but

that's still great I mean even he threw

five last year in 500 attempts what if

he throws nine I agree with you Wilds

that la la but both could be true last

year could be the cleanest he Evers with

the football and he still could be less

interception ex he's still not going to

be Josh all in terms of recklessness

burrow let's just face it he's injury

prone and it's not just it'd be bad

enough it was just the NFL fell in

college he had his share of injuries all

right so he's got that issue stra

doesn't so even if you want to throw in

Justin Herbert already CJ st's got a

playoff win and Herbert doesn't so I

think stra is showing at this early

stage that he's got advantages that all

of those other great players they have a

deficiency that he does not have yeah

there are no

Challengers this is I know what everyone

wants and we can just put up the graphic

and give them put all four of the guys

together combine them into one Captain

planetes Frankenstein's monster of

quarterbacks and they're still trailing

Mahomes and everything but MVPs and

Lamar is carrying the heavy load there

all by himself um and I did 40 touchdown

Seasons to be nice we could have done 50

touchdown seasons and of course momes

has one of those as well so here's the

deal i' I said it before I will say it

again nobody gets to be Tom Brady or

pton Manning when Patrick is both of

them you're going to have to be you know

what those four quarterbacks get to

choose hey guys have a draft who wants

to be VJ Singh who wants to be David

Duval who wants to be Ernie Ells and who

wants to be Phil Mickelson because

you're up against Tiger Woods the

left-handed guy will be my personal I

don't my personal you know feelings

would be that David Duval should

probably be Josh Allen showed the

highest peak people thought there was a

lot of smoke people still talk about

that 59 round that he had one day no on

theover Sports Illustrated go remember

wild he had the great Oakley on but

never quite reached his potential thef I

think that Joe burrow will be philson

and and Ernie ell's you know what I give

that to CJ and that leaves VJ for Lamar

that's what it'll be but it is not Brady

Manning it is Gretzky against Messier

and Lemieux and others and it is Tiger

against the field there is no rival you

could have used Jordan who's Barkley

who's Malone would easy you know you

know you could have went there yeah but

why would I use a guy who's not even the

best in his own sport historically that

would make sense you definitely could

inste instead to be LeBron and Steph

right there I me you don't even think

that as far as er no LeBron's better

than Steph but this the era in terms of

winning that's what I'm talking about

fing golf I didn't bring up basketball I

just wonder why cuz it would have been

cleaner

cleaner analogy it would have been who's

going to be Barkley who's going to be

who's going to be Reggie Miller who's

goingon to be you know all that no but

that's but then the list is over just

those three

guyson Sean Kim L other guys

Drexler thanks for watching subscribe

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