‘Wyobilzfan’s’ Offseason Field Notes

If Lindy Ruff can resurrect himself from the aughts, it’s only fair I get my shot at bringing back ‘wyobilzfan’ from the old Buffalo Bills Message Board (RIP). Since “wyobilzfan’s” retirement from the Bills’ message board happened around the same time as Lindy’s departure, it seems oddly appropriate to break out my own form of nostalgia for our BuffaloFAMbase blog.

I have no idea where these ‘Field Notes’ will lead. The offseason is downright boring in terms of finding interesting topics to write about regarding the Buffalo Bills. I’ve wondered what sort of babble I might spew that would be of any interest to anyone.

Since my brain tends to operate like a live stream of convoluted ideas that may or may not be tangentially related to the Buffalo Bills (or anything else for that matter)… it occurred to me if I put together some offseason “field notes” a la Peter King style… mostly for some jollies, but also with some actual football observations to share… this could be a good way to keep the blog alive during a time of year when there is very little to write about.

Truth be told, I’m also trying to keep ‘bot-free writing’ a thing for as long as possible. I’m a big believer in supporting creative writing by human beings. Seems it’s a dying art form at times.

My heart is full of gratitude by your giving me the time it takes to read these words. Some of you reading this blog have been traveling with me on this crazy road that is “BillsMafia” for over 20 years. It brings me to tears just thinking about it.

I write a lot of crap. Some of it is comical, some of it addresses matters close to my heart regarding this ‘family’ we’ve grown to become over the years. If I haven’t conveyed it enough, please know how special it is for me to be connected with all of you for over two decades of fan-hood. Now I’m asking you to stick with me during the offseason and ride along for some offseason giggles and see where it takes us.

So… without further delay… LFG with my first installment of ‘wyobilzfan’s’ Offseason Field Notes.

It will probably come as no surprise for anyone reading this who knows me… my favorite pick of the 2024 NFL Draft is the center from Georgia, Sedrick Van Pran-Granger. His 6’4″/298 frame looks lean and mean. This man ran things up front for Georgia and blocked for running back James Cook, who will no doubt be happy to see his large friend opening holes for him again. Bills Central FN’s Kyle Silagyi believes there’s a better than average chance he will be the starting center on opening day.

That’s because “VPG” (as he is referred to by some of his coaches) will now be coached by ‘best in biz’ offensive line coach Aaron Kromer. Kromer must have been licking his chops by the time the fifth round rolled around and VPG was still available.

I’m picturing “Krom” like a living breathing Cosmo Kramer (let’s remember Kromer is only one letter off), literally begging Beane and McDermott to let him have this beautiful piece of clay waiting to be molded into Josh Allen’s hand off man.

We wish all the best for VPG and welcome him to BillsMafia. If anyone can make VPG a stud from the get-go, it’s Coach Kramer, errr Kromer.

While VPG wins my favorite draft pick for the Bills, I found Troy EDGE Javon Solomon the most intriguing player drafted by Buffalo. At 6’2″/249 he appears undersized, but Syracuse.com’s Ryan Talbot gives us the low down about why Solomon might be productive for the Bills defense right out of the gate.

Selected 168th overall in the fifth round, Solomon was a low risk acquisition who can contribute on Special Teams and play a role in the defensive line rotation as he becomes acclimated to a new defensive scheme.

Many are overlooking impending changes on the Bills’ defensive scheme with Bobby Babich, Jr. as the new defensive coordinator. Junior was regarded as a hot commodity after Buffalo’s season ended, being courted by several NFL teams, including the Miami Dolphins. Fortunately Mr. Pegula is willing to pay whatever it takes to keep top tier coaches. It was also probably a good thing Junior was hotly pursued, because it forced Sean McDermott to give up the DC role and return to focusing on his head coaching duties.

And as I close my notes for now, at some point I will reflect more about why I believe it’s critical for McDermott to let Junior cook. While there’s little doubt McDermott’s finger prints will be all over this defensive scheme, Bobby Babich Jr. has earned the respect of his head coach over his tenure with Buffalo. Further, McDermott likely learned from his experience trying to juggle both roles that fostering Junior’s independence is best for both coaches and the team.

Editor’s babble: Thanks for supporting our blog. You can also find me wandering aimlessly around Xwitter @RobynMundyWYO.