maddenboy

i dont think Watkins will get as many targets as last year. Too many other "weapons" and too many running plays. I hope the staff schemes ways to get him the ball in space, so he can have the same production with fewer touches. (and secretly, like many bills fans, I hope he is not a Barry Sanders, whose talent is wasted on a team that cant use him right. Because his talent is off the charts. One of only 4 players ever to be NCAA first team all-american as a true freshman).

lol. and fixed. but, but . . . but there's no such thing as 4th string QB in the NFL. Most teams keep 3, some only keep 2. Sure there's Practice Squad, but do we know if Simms is even eligible for PS? (full disclosure: I always liked Tuel)

To me, this is the only problem. And the only reason why Rice wont be a Bill. Imagine selling the Rice story to the fans with a female owner. I think Rice has value, has something left, and has had no tread-wear recently so he should be fresh. He should be good for 10-15 carries a game for a couple years for someone. He's a nice downhill runner. Somebody will take a shot. But not us.

Goosebumps. Like most of us, I remember precisely where I was. And I remember a couple phone calls at halftime from "ha ha ha" friends. And I remember in the next few days, those same friends saying "wow, I remember you said its not over, and you were serious, and I laughed at you. wow. Nice call."

Nice. But I was a Tuel supporter, so I'm not happy. But that's life.

I think its a bit too early to really glean anything from the schedule. Lets wait until (1) we know who our QB is, and how he should fare against certain defenses, (2) what the final roster is, (3) what our opponents' final rosters look like. Its all about matchups, and we dont know enuf about the matchups yet. But bless you for starting a thread that would actually take 3-4 pages to turn into an EJ thread. I genuinely appreciate it this time of year - we need more of that.

Excellent article. And so nice to be talking about something other than QB. And I am also not a fan of the signing. But i'm starting to thaw on it.

I've said forever, we should volunteer for it a.s.a.p. I'd rather get it out of the way. I dont want to do it in a year or two, when we are serious contenders. Get it out of the way. Now.

And how delicious if Hackett gets promoted over Marrone? (of course this cant happen since, if Bradley gets fired mid-stream it will most likely be due to perception/reality of awful QB play)

Its not just player additions. Its also subtractions. Byrd, for one. Whaley has a vision and we're seeing it unfold. Also, Whaley was around when Nix was here, and was the heir-apparent. Surely he had some input before being elevated to GM.

blah blah blah. Who can start a topic that will turn into an EJ thread the fastest. Winner?

At this point, he's pretty much in "feather my retirement nest" mode. Just like Orton last year. Or, just possibly, Vick thinks, deep down, that he can be better than he ever has been before. He'd be about the only person who believes that. Its a money grab. And its true that he should be hired because he's still better than so many 2nd or 3rd QBs in this NFL.

3) Brady's conduct was (a) more impactful on the game (i'm sure Browns coaches were like "stfu" to the GM "dont tell me what plays to call"), and (b) was done for a much much much longer time period.

The $1MM is offset by the $4MM they SAVE by not paying Brady's salary.

6 games. 4 for cheating, and 2 for coverup. Draft picks seem about right. I mean, the Brown's GM got 4 games just for a single incident of in-game texting. Because the evidence suggests Brady (a) has been doing it for years, and (b) he obtained an unfair competitive advantage over that span. And if my job is to protect the shield, i cant have that.

Its good that Pats fans are here. It means this site is a good one. I wonder how many Bills fans visit Pats sites, versus them coming here. I keep hearing that this site has a nice reputation around the league, and that many fans in other cities are jealous. I think that's your answer right there.

Rather, look at who we drafted vs who they told us to draft. The old argument that if we had just gone by Kiper's board, we'd have a superbowl by now. Or something.

Nope. I hate baseball, but the argument is that scuffing affects only 2 people per play (hitter, pitcher). If the ball is hit, the scuffing doesnt affect teammates' ability to catch, field, or throw the ball afterward. Soft footballs affect qb, receivers, and running backs, and probably the center. Every play. And especially so in cold weather (or so i'm told). There was/is a thread trying to analogize deflate to other sports transgressions/cheats. Scuffing is not in the same area code. ----------- And to the OP's point, no i would not be cool with that.

The Saints case was not about cheating. The Saints case was not about the integrity of the game. Rather, the Saints case was about protecting the league from lawsuits. To show that the NFL is "serious" about player safety, and when that's jeopardized, the NFL comes down hard. Deflate is not about safety. Its not about defending lawsuits. Its just about public confidence in the game. Which is why you wont see draconian penalties. Like i said, 5-6 games, then appeal, then reduction to 2-3 games.

That's about 3 per team: Mario Dareus Shady. That is all. Its a popularity contest.

I chose "3 games." Because of the evidence of past cheating, and not just this one time. I suspect he will be suspended 5-6 games, he will appeal, and it will be reduced to 2-3. (Also, because he is a STAR player, I wouldnt be surprised if they let him do it alternate weeks or something, or maybe it wont start in week 1. Anything to accomodate the Patriots). Are they also saying it didnt affect the outcome of any games? Are they also saying that it only happened that one time?

I love Tuel. And its funny. The FO never talks him up. Likewise, there are never any rumors of him being cut or traded. I think they see something in him. Maybe possible career backup. Which is really high praise, when you think about it. Tuel is a gamer, who never thinks the game is too big for him. He is more willing to throw the ball (to give guys a chance to make a play) instead of sitting there waiting for the perfect route to be perfectly open, than any other QB we have. This, methinks, is what makes an NFL qb, even a career backup. See: Reich, Frank.

I cant imagine that anything that happened today changes the analysis. Unless some team missed on a particular need in round 1, it picks ahead of us in round 2, and is now slated to fill that position before us in round 2. Otherwise, its the same weak draft class. Whoever you wanted yesterday, or last month (except Tomlinson), is still available. Both TEs are still there. All 3 third tier QBs are still there. Hmmm.

I'm leaning this way. In theory. I mean, how often do pregnant women get shot several times? But once the 5th round comes, the risk will probably be worth it for some team. going to be fascinating to watch. Popcorn time. yeah, but we wont know anything in the next 3 days. That's the whole question. risk / reward.

imho, you dont draft "depth" players with your first couple picks. Find some starters. Yes, a team needs depth. But you can get that in later rounds or UDFA.