Tommy

FYI, Ebron measured in today at the Combine at 6 foot 4 & 3/8ths, 250 lb

I think saying that "good upstairs people" can figure out salary cap issues is a convenient excuse to help people justify the personnel decisions that they'd like to see the team make. Salary cap isn't something that can be swept under the rug. Every move has dependencies and ramifications on every other move you can make, and it all has to work long-term under the context of the salary cap. I of course agree that we need to keep as many good players as we can, but always with the caveat that it has to make sense with the overall plan. I also don't believe you can isolate a single decision (about Byrd....albeit a big decision) and claim that if it doesn't go the way you want, then it must mean the Bills don't care about building a winning team. That's just ridiculous. This isn't a personal attack at you...more like a strong difference of opinion...so I hope it doesn't come off that way. I want the Bills to win as badly as you do. It can be really difficult as fans when we don't truly have insight into a team's plans, and when you lose all the time, every single move is going to be painstakingly scrutinized -- which is why we're currently in this offseason topic hell. (For the record, I'd like to see the Bills re-sign Byrd long-term, even if it means Top 5 safety money)

This x 1,000,000

You do realize that your smiley is rolling it's eyes, right?

Here's my take on Chandler: I think most people would agree that this team could use a more dynamic threat at the TE position. I like the idea of Chandler as our #2, as long as we are able to re-sign him at a fair price for that position. However, I see Chandler seeking #1 TE money...not necessarily top-end TE money....but likely more than our decision-makers are willing to pay. I also think the signing of Moeaki was somewhat of an indication that Chandler's days as a Bill are numbered. The team likely has a plan that includes an upgrade at the TE position, and I believe that plan includes Moeaki, Gragg, and at least one person not currently on the roster. I always liked Chandler, and I appreciate the productivity he gave us considering how he was acquired. But I think now is the time the Bills finally move on.

You mean like Fitzpatrick?

Unfortunately Logan Thomas is also brutally inconsistent. I'm basing that opinion on some of his film from this past season, but did you also happen to catch his performance in the Senior Bowl? The guy was not even close on a bunch of throws. Sure his size is great, but I don't think he'll ever make it in the NFL.

I say keep him, because I don't think he has much trade value, and we shouldn't assume he can't be productive in a new system. As Bills fans we'd like to think he could fetch a 3rd, but in my opinion it's more likely he wouldn't go for anything higher than a 5th and 6th...and to me that's not worth it. A player-for-player trade sounds nice too, but that's highly unlikely (the fact that Hughes was obtained in that fashion is an anomaly). So I don't think there's really much of a choice here.

You are talking about Barr, right? I just did a quick search on ESPN.com and NFL.com and the mock drafts from Kiper (ESPN), Daniel Jeremiah (NFL), Bucky Brooks (NFL), and Charles Davis (NFL) all had Barr going in the top 10, and they were all from within the past two weeks. Which mock drafts are you referring to where he's now projected as a late 1st rounder?

:blink:

I ended up with: 1) Greg Robinson - OT - Auburn 2) Austin Seferian-Jenkins - TE - Washington 3) Xavier Su'a-Filo - G - UCLA 4) Jackson Jeffcoat - DE - Texas 5) Jimmy Garoppolo - QB - Eastern Illinois 6) Jay Bromley - DT - Syracuse 7) Ross Cockrell - CB - Duke I wanted to hit some needs with the first few picks. Then I started looking at value with Jeffcoat. I liked what I saw from Garoppolo in East-West Shrine game and in Senior Bowl practices so far, so in Round 5 I thought that was a no-brainer. In Round 6, I've watched Jay Bromley his entire career at Syracuse and he has vastly improved each year. He's a beast and decent value for a late pick. Finally, I watched Cockrell in the East-West Shrine game as well and thought we could do worse with a 7th rounder. In this scenario, I think we'd need to get some LB and WR help from Free Agency. Also, I admittedly haven't done all of my research yet on most draft prospects, so this was just a fun shot in the dark.

What makes you think that? The 49ers just drafted Eric Reid at FS in the 1st round this past draft, and by most accounts, he had a pretty good season as the starter. I remember reading the same quotes from Carpenter, and I don't think you're reading too much into it. I think it's highly unlikely he re-signs with Buffalo after the season he just had. He should have no problem gathering interest from other teams, and given the season he just had, he's not going to want to have to compete for the job again with Hopkins. Then when you mix in his comments about how his wife will have a say in the decision....well, to me that pretty much screams "She's not living in Buffalo for another year."

Maybe it's just me, but something irks me about the possibility of the Bills finally ending their playoff draught by finishing 7th in the AFC with a potentially mediocre record due to a rule change. It would just feel a little tainted. I'm picturing this nightmare scenario where the Bills back their way into the #7 spot by another team losing in week 17 and then get blown out in the first round. That's no way to end a playoff draught. That said, that's a pretty specific scenario. As long as pretty much anything else happens, I'll be happy with the playoffs. Go Bills!

http://espn.go.com/video/clip?id=10101818&ex_cid=espnapi_public

Me too. Where's Han Solo when you need him?

I love the way he plays, and would love to have him on our team. It will be interesting to see where we draft and what our top needs will be come draft day, but Mack could be in the mix. By the way, that article was brutal.

I'm not claiming to be more knowledgeable than the FSU alumnus that you refer to, but a quick search seemed to indicate to me that the offensive supporting cast is pretty similar this year to what EJ had last year. The o-line from 2012 to 2013 has 4 of the same players, with the difference being 2nd round draft pick, RT Menelik Watson. The receivers and backs look to be virtually the same. You can definitely make the argument that the continuity and improvement from last year make this year's offense a better unit, but I don't think the difference in supporting cast is that vast. That said, I don't think you can ever compare two teams from different seasons apples-to-apples, so even if I don't think the talent gap is that vast, I don't think we can make any real conclusions about EJ from this.

Did the analysis take into account actual offensive points scored as compared to special teams or defensive TDs? I'm not saying it would drastically change the results, as the Bills only have two defensive TDs. But I don't think the results mean as much if you are trying to rank offenses and defenses. On a team (overall points per game and points given up) level though, it's interesting to see where we stack up.

Although that is pretty disgusting, a plumbing problem does not mean we need a new stadium. It means we need to call a plumber...or 20.

According to ESPN he had 4 tackles in the Jets game. I remember seeing him out there a few times but overall hasn't been used much (outside of ST). Probably just a rookie getting acclimated and being behind three other safties on the depth chart, not including Byrd. He's only three games into his career, so I'd give him a chance before saying he's no good.

F5!

McFaddens in Philly was exactly the same thing. Everyone going nuts, free champagne being served from bartenders standing on the bar, E.J. chants....loved it.

I'm thinking Goodwin is shhhhing, and the Marine says "NOOOOOO SIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIR"

Yeah, I guess other than the fact that the award for best tight end in college football is named after John Mackey, Syracuse grad and NFL Hall of Famer. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Mackey_(American_football)