WhitewalkerInPhilly

Again, grain of salt, but it certainly is interesting. I especially find it interesting that a TE/big WR is top priority. I might have guessed another guard.

Hey, I'm all for getting a veteran and seeing what happens. But I'm not seeing anyone who is runaway head over heels better than EJ as a free agent, anyone we draft is a project, and anyone we trade for is going to be expensive. Again, we are talking about a group where Mark Sanchez is the premier player.

I doubt this happens. When Favre left the Pack, they had been sitting on Aaron Rodgers for three years. Denver has nobody. Getting Peyton would be like Favre's year with the Jets. Of course I would pull the trigger in a hot second.

Or...we build the O-line, get the QB a check down target over the middle, get a fresh set of legs at RB and lock up a top 5 defense. If EJ bombs, boom, we have a top 10 pick next year. If he's decent, yay.

I think we need to mention one thing: the way players fit into schemes, regardless of their talents. Kujo, Richardson and even Cordy to a degree are maulers. They're big guys. Reading some x and o chatter from Robert Quinn (who is really insightfull IMHO) he differentiates zone blocking (what Marrone uses) which relies on the ability to shift laterally and gap blocking (Roman) which better fits bigger, heavier guys. This might be a better fit for the young guys to develop, and with RI in now to plug a gap I am willing to see what a different scheme to do.

In all fairness, the Philly area reporters and sports radio guys seem to think Chip has a real interest in Mariota. There is also the fact that Mariota looks much better (or at least has done more than) Nassib.

He's not the only one whose thought about it DC. Losing a draft pick hasn't deterred Beli from pushing the boundaries on rules. (The formation stuff from the divisional round was legal but is likely to inspire rules committee chats)

It's kind of tragic how the Jags board is, especially when they talk about him as a possibility as head coach, but apparently we sound the same to the Jets and Niners fans about Rex and Roman. Quick thoughts about the hire: -Marrone might be a decent fit for the hire. They have smaller linemen, so it might fit his zone scheme. If they are already perfect fits they may thrive. -that said in his time here he was incapable of altering his scene to the talent he had. This was true at WR, where he ditched two very productive receivers in Stevie and Mike Williams for Chris Hogan, and arguably so at QB where come hell or high water they were sticking with those play calls. But even a bigger problem is that the O-line regressed even from the days of Chan Gailey. -The Bills drafted 3 O-line men. Only the 7th rounder had extensive playing time. It's not as if Kuondidjio and Richardson were scraping the bottom of the barrel. Kujo was considered a possible late 1st rounder, and Richardson an intriguing project and yet we got nothing. -Two very solid players, Glenn and Wood, regressed this year. -If the Jags think that cutting and running at the first sign of progress will change his head coach philosophy they are nuts. -I've been told we're bitter and jilted. If we're jilted, our high school sweetheart just left us so we just went to the bar to drown our sorrows and got picked up by Zooey Deschanel who's asking if she can invite her sister over for a threesome.

Quite possibly. The big story here is that Chip Kelly successfully did what Marrone tried to do, because he had a 20-12 record to show for it. He *could* bet the farm. If so, I just hope they keep Foles so we can make a run at him. I think it's worth mentioning: Foles was a third round pick, and made it to the Pro Bowl last year. You *can* find average to above average QB talent in the 3rd round.

I'm living in the Philly area and fan reaction, other than one radio announcer, is "are you crazy? We have a secondary almost as bad as the Jets! We cut DeSean Jackson and never upgraded. Our O-line is aging! Foles had a 27:2 TD:INT ratio in 2013, and we were killing it before he broke his collarbone. Why would we give all that up for Mariota" Just a local perspective.

I hate to make this another EJ thread, but I seriously believe that that's what they go with this year. EJ has similar talents and flaws as Kaepernick...and may in fact have more experience doing multiple reads. The Bills don't have a first round pick, and even if they still had it I doubt they could trade up far enough to get Mariota or Winston. Everyone else is a project at best, in which case I don't see them being better than EJ right away. When it comes to the free agent choices/trades with their cap space they have to choose between: A) Mortgaging the farm to get a guy like Bradford/Cutler who has warts aplenty or B) Upgrading the O-line, making sure we either re-sign or upgrade Spiller and Hughes, and bringing in a competent TE to go along with Chandler.

And yet the last three Super Bowls winners have been... A Giants team that backed into the playoffs, and won with a strong run game led by Ahmad Bradshaw along with a dominating defense A Ravens team that backed into the playoffs, and won with a strong run game led by Ray Rice along with a dominating defense (playing against the 49ers who were led by a dominating run game and defense) The Seahawks with a running game led by Marshawn Lynch along with a dominating defense. The trick seems to be getting to the playoffs...THEN, those two features make you a force to be reckoned with

Kujo and Richardson both were considered to have a lot of talent. Again, different scheme, different approach. As a note, It should be noted that both Glenn and Wood regressed this year, and they were studs under...god help me, Chan Gailey of all people. Also, where he dismissed two very competent (though admittedly not elite) receivers because he had personal problems with them. I think we dodged a bullet when Marrone left.

The man said the the emperor wore no clothes. It's not like Jay Cutler's flaws were a big secret around the league, and apparently everyone in the organization thought the same. We spent 3 draft picks on our O-line last year. Only one (the 7th rounder) saw extensive playing time, and was average at best. One of the knocks I heard this week is that Marrone was trying to use a zone blocking scheme, which typically requires quicker than usual linemen. Whaley was bringing in road graders. If we can tap into the talent we have, and bring in one or two new pieces we could have a dominant O-line. As an aside, this makes me think that they are going with EJ next year. There is no way they go for Cutler after this, and he's their best chance at trading for a veteran. I think the idea is to build the O-line, set a ground game, get a TE other than Chandler, in short do everything but bring in a new QB...and then see where we stand in 2016 with a first round draft pick.

Great post. Really, it looks like the D-line would be going the exact same thing: Dareus 2 gapping, Kyle playing 3 technique, Mario is talented enough that if you're not doubling with a TE you're in trouble. The only difference is Hughes playing on a two point stance and dropping into coverage on occasion. In fact, our LB situation is now much better than 2013. In Rex's system the WLB and MLB have a lot more overlap. Both Kiko and Preston Brown have flexibility to play two roles well (Will and Mike/Mike and Sam respectively). I see the lines working as such: Kyle-Dareus-Mario Hughes-Kiko-Brown-Bradham/Lawson With a nickel of Hughes-Kyle-Dareus-Mario Kiko-Brown/Bradham

Well, that's what my title says... Seriously though, I finally feel that the HC, DC and OC are all on the same page philosophy wise for the first time in years. Roman and Rex have track records of success in their individual fields and finally might have a perfect marriage of special. Romans experience with Kaep may be the only thing to salvage Manuel at least one more year. If that isn't a reason to think the Kool-Aid isn't dosed with cyanide thus time I don't know what is.

The sad thing is...that may be so.

Honestly, I agree that line play, and getting new TE's is a must. Chris Williams was a Marrone hire band-aid. Chandler surprised me this year with some really clutch play, but the man really does stop within 2 yards of where he catches it. If the decision is that the Bills cannot get a better immediate starter than Manuel, I would not at all be shocked if our entire FA period and draft is reeling in solid, immediate starter guards and Tight Ends.

Honest question here: Roman seems to have his core with a power run game, and has had a ton of success (2011-2013) by using a stout O-line, a good run game, and game managing QBs. Kaep is showing his flaws a few years in, and EJ was always seen as a shade under Kaep but...considering that EJ, while a flawed product, has had his entire experience as a pocket QB, and at worst is no worse than say Tannehill at his level of experience, do you think that Roman, given full power to chase the FA's he wants in the offseason and at least with a voice into the draft process, could make this an average (16th-12th in points scored) offense? Because, seriously, that's all the defense really needs.

Annnnd here come the Rome based puns. I approve. How do people object to those? I love watching fullbacks running over linebackers when they get a head of steam.

No, but there was definitely something happening with Harbaugh. He likely would have been replaced by whoever takes over the job. That said, his track record over the last few years has been really good, and even his biggest down year in four years they still ranked 4th in rushing and went 8-8 on the best defensive division in football.

To be honest, Orton claiming to retire (after all, he could always do exactly what he did last year and say he wants to come back) has set off a chain of events that has led to a major change in coaching staff that arguably is for the far, far, far better.

I literally just heard a theory on Philly sports radio that the Broncos are so desperate to keep Gase (who they think will convince Manning not to retire) that they might force him out...and now Fox is gone.

...the 49ers play in San Francisco.

The 49ers GM would likely have to be high to make such a trade, but I'd do it in a heartbeat.