starrymessenger

I think you're onto something there. Something good. Keep up the good work. They will look even stupider if they trot out a guy who drowns out the crowd week after week with a tremendous sucking sound. If you've made a mistake refusing to correct it will only make matters worse. Not saying EJ will suck. Just addressing the hypothetical that was posited, which by the way is a possibility.

Or unless he totally blows, which is also possible. Then what? He gets 16 starts only if he is healthy and shows improvement. IMO the Bills fully intend to be competitive in 2014. If EJ shows no hope of getting them there they will want to have an alternative rather than the only option being to write off another entire year. I don't think they stand pat with what they have. I think they will be looking to bring somebody in this year.

I don't know that Martin could be a good guard. The mindset of a good guard is badass (though not psycho like Ritchie). Martin doesn't seem to be wired for that. He looks to be TJ Graham in an O-lineman's body. Sort of unfortunate.

Agree.

I wouldn't do this now. I think the Bills have better options to explore this year thru the draft. I really did think that we were going to get him for Lynch back when, but I guess Thompson figured Starks was good enuf.

True. The class is deep and talented with both newfangled and throwback TE prospects. A number of interesting sleepers as well once you get past the frontrunners who garner all the media attention. Personally I think the draft for WRs and TEs shapes up as a mid and maybe even later round exercise as far as the Bills are concerned (unless something unexpected happens like Watkins dropping to # 9). A chance for Whaley to show as a good picker.

You're probably right but he may drop and if so I can see it as the elephant in the room as far as the coverage is concerned. When someone bites you will prolly hear a big sigh of relief coming from the commish. He's already got his hands full with the concussion controversy.

This is a guy who, while not an elite prospect by any means, would normally get drafted. If he does undrafted and is unsigned as an UDFA only because teams want to avoid the distraction, I wonder whether he can successfully sue the league. If he can the league office must be concerned with this. But how do they force a team to pick him up and who exactly do they force assuming they can?

I agree. He's already the best blocker IMO. Dominant in that regard in a very tough conference. An excellent red zone threat. Set a team record with 6 receiving TDs. He's not going to take the top off any NFL defense but I think he can find the seams and is as much a nightmare physical mismatch as Niklas. Niklas has a second round grade. Unless CJ runs much better than expected at the combine he is a third or fourth round pick.

I don't think it was a fluke. I think Whaley will do a very good job getting Marrone the talent he needs. I firmly believe the nightmare drafts are a thing of the past.

You are right. He called better games with Tuel and Lewis under center. It's not because he thought they were more limited. It's because they decided to mollycoddle EJ and not take chances. As to why they did that...well that's a whole other discussion. It will be interesting to see what happens when, as surely they must, they open up the playbook for EJ this year. I think he may turn into a turnover machine. That would be my concern.

Re 1) I doubt he's worth the time you would have to spend to figure out if he could play, meaning he's a bust IMO 2) Agree 3) I can think of players who might be (reasonably) safe to draft in the first, but I don't know of any positions, as such, that are. I think Matthews and Robinson are good risks and would be delighted with either.

God is a relentless road grader who punishes people for no better reason than his own amusement. Unfortunately for us that is a good and sufficient reason. There is no getting away from him. He's too good. You can't beat him. So just draft him at 9 already.

I'm pretty sure Doug Marrone also likes great O-line play so hopefully we will get there one way or another.

He's a good player fo sho but he will get a big payday from someone, probably more than he is worth. IMO the Bills will draft a wideout in May (to replace TJ) and it would be criminally stupid not to given the quality and depth of this years class. If Watkins is there at # 9 he will be hard to pass up (but not impossible if either of the two top OTs are also there). More likely he is gone in which case the Bills target a big receiver in the mid-rounds IMO.

I think Minny could very well draft D Carr. If 4 QBs come off the board before we pick there is an excellent chance that Matthews and/or Robinson is there at # 9 and if so OT should be the pick, and I would be delighted with either. If in addition you can sign one of the Chiefs FA guards next month and land the Iowa TE in the 4th you will have the makings of an elite O-line.

I think you really do have to ask yourself whether you would want Asamoah over Schwartz. Schwartz is looking for a multi-year deal after two one year deals. Either guy would likely give us what we need at LG and I would expect that they are both on Whaley's radar. I don't know that either will be available though. Fisher improved a lot towards the end of last year and might be ready to take over at LT, meaning the Chiefs will not be willing to go long term with Albert for the big bucks he will surely command.

When he goes camping the bears hide their food.

I don't see the Bills and Marrone using a first round pick on any TE who cannot block and I think they will prioritize the O-line in May. So I would not be surprised if they drafted Greg Robinson if he is still on the board. If they wanted to further strengthen the line while at the same time securing a TE who is a good red zone target and can legitimately contribute in the passing game (especially if Chandler is not signed) then the Hawkeye Fiedorowicz would be a good choice in the third. Find a good young guard with lots of playing experience in FA (Jon Asamoah) and you have the makings of one of the best young O-lines in the NFL. Marrone is an O-line guy who likes big bad people so I think he would like that line.

Jimmy Clausen was 28 and 4 his senior year at ND. Bridge water will be a better pro tho, much better IMO.

Contrary to what TB said, the Pats are not especially gracious losers. They seem pretty sour about it IMO. But you have to give them a lot of credit for what they accomplished this year. After all they have been through to compete for the AFC title is a truly remarkable achievement. And to do it by reinventing themselves as a running team and actually taking the ball out of TBs hands is especially surprising. So although TB may have been the main piece all along it is clear that the whole organization top to bottom is one of the very best in the game. Good ownership and great coaching has had a lot to do with their success. And on a personal level I can easily understand TBs disappointment. If he had gone to and, heaven forbid, actually won the Super Bowl, his legacy, as good as it is already, would have been much enhanced. It might even have placed him in the driver's seat in the discussion surrounding the greatest ever QB. Now if Peyton is able to beat that great Seahawks secondary with Welker and those big receivers he's got to throw to, the fact that TB will still have more hardware might well be negated by Peyton's second ring and better in season production during the years TB was winning those championships, as well as the fact that TB benefitted from an elite D that Peyton did not have. Their performance this year proves once again that it is unwise to ever sell NE short . They could be back with a vengeance in 2014. But time is running out on TB. His bad throw to Welker in 2012 cost them a championship. He missed Edelman twice against Denver this year that could have been game changers. His skillset is just not as complete as it used to be. He's still a master of the short passing game featuring crossing patterns underneath, and he still displays incredible accuracy and good pace on the ball with intermediate throws over the middle. But he doesn't hit the deep ball nearly as much as in the past, go routes and deep outs whether to the opposite hash or not. In fact he is increasingly badly misses those difficult, lower percentage passes. And I don't expect things to get better for him as far as his individual skillset is concerned. Quite the contrary, though he may be surrounded by a better supporting cast in 2014 and therefore his team may fare better.

Thanks. Will check these out.

All I've seen we're his throws vs N Illinois but I had a similar impression. Compact motion and lightning quick release but looks like a dart thrower. Maybe that's what having a quick release does. Apparently he used to have a baseball windup, which is the exact opposite of what he does now, so he may be coachable. Seems to have plenty of arm strength so his footwork, weight transfer must be good. Overall his accuracy was good, subject to a few bad misses. Also looks like a one read guy from what little I saw but apparently he had 5 receiver sets and could go thru his progressions (though I sure didn't see it). He also threw into coverage so he's got a lot of work to do to avoid being a turnover machine in the pros. Bear in mind that his O-line looked pretty good and his receivers seemed to run good patterns, so he didn't do it all by himself.

Nope. Even if they land Sammy Watkins DR should probably be on the roster anyway because there are 2 or 3 guys who have no business being there. No question DR is a very raw prospect and there is no guarantee he will amount to anything. But it is also clear that he is loaded with talent and that he is trying to make a go of it. When he cut him Marrone acknowledged DRs talent but said he was looking for immediate production and not down the road. We'll he didn't get that production from CJ, Easley, Hogan and Kauffman (who was let go after DR). I guess we are just not in the business of developing raw talent (tho I thought that's what coaches are supposed to do). Oh wait! EJ is as raw as they come. While DR prolly had late first or early second round talent, EJ would almost certainly go third or later if he was in this years draft. But EJ aced the interview process. He's a good boy and we like him. Ok, but that does not win many football games. One may wonder why so lengthy a thread is dedicated to a raw prospect and a head case. The reason is that it has little to do with DR, who is gone for good. It had to do with Marrone who is still here.

Certainly a minority opinion re Geno, at least around here...but one that could very well prove true IMO.