starrymessenger

Saying that the Commish's statement is too little too late (for a number of reasons) is true IMO but somewhat misses the mark. On the strong balance of probabilities the point is that it is devoid of content, in other words, is insincere. RG is nothing but the agent of the owners, who, like them or leave them, are not stupid people They know the way the wind is blowing at this moment. So they are not so much people of principle than weathervanes. They are businessmen whose interest is the value of the brand in which they are so heavily invested. So, as far as I'm concerned, they are all "unforgiven". Fromm on the other hand was maybe just being a dumb punk kid. If his apology is sincere I would let him be. If it's good enuf for Leslie Frazier and his teammates it's good enuf for me. The quality of mercy is not strained.

As KJ has previously noted, Brees did much, perhaps more than any other individual, to bring the great city of New Orleans back from the brink. That much I think I know. That's what is in the public domaine. Now KJ says there are skeletons in his closet, without specifying what they are. If that's true and if I knew what those things were about maybe I would change my opinion of him as a person. Just for the record, I don't think peaceful protest is an insult to the flag or the military and I always thought Kaep was a principled guy ( just not a starting calibre QB). Whats going on now is not just about race, though race is the powerful catalyst. Stay tuned. There's something happening here.

Drew Brees is obviously a good man and a great player. I think he did well to clarify his remarks. JMO.

Diggs is a known commodity. Everybody knows who he is and what he is capable of doing. There are no question marks. Josh has made encouraging strides but remains a work in progress. And there is at least one unanswered question IMO. Allen has absolutely everything you could want in a QB in terms of physical ability and intangibles. So much so that all things considered IMO he is already a confirmed starting calibre QB who with the right supporting cast can take you a long way. Maybe all the way. The question is processing speed (not to be confused with football IQ - Josh is a very smart guy). The ability to process is the secret sauce. If he can do that consistently he is elite. Time will tell. I think he's got a good shot.

I'm more concerned about McD transitioning from DC to HC than I am about JA developing into a NFL calibre passer. If McD continues to play not to lose it may not matter what Allen can do. With what he had to work with Jauron had little wiggle room. Bills now have plenty enough talent on O make some noise. It's not just up to Allen to make productive use of those tools.

True, he is inconsistent (a function of a sandlot background, a crooked path to the NFL and of having a lot to learn), but the selection of "great things" he does at times are literally all the things that you want a QB to be able to do. Not a one or two trick phoney. He can and has made all the throws. As a runner he's a load. I can't say he's sure to break out this year but I expect noticeable improvement again.

If Allen, and the team around him, were another NFL franchise and I saw as many of his snaps as I have, I'd have the same (high) opinion of him as I do now. Maybe I'm not a good analyst, but I'm not a homer.

What "people see nationwide" is a notorious lagging indicator. I trust my eyes and I like what I see.

Well I disagree with DO. If I had to pick my starter from amongst the four I would go with Allen followed by SD. JMO but I think Allen is actually a clear cut above the competition and my expectation is that he will put that debate to rest once and for all this year. All things considered I'm entirely satisfied with his development so far and I think he is being brought along properly by the Bills. I see good progression from his rookie to sophomore years and we will see more and better IMO this year. Basically he is capable of doing everything you could possibly want your QB to do and at the highest level. When his rookie deal is done he will break the bank.

It's a great question, not because astute posters and observers can enlighten us with their analysis, though of course it is always welcome and helpful, but because even after careful consideration of his college and pro career it remains almost impossible to answer at this time IMO. As a rook I think I pretty much saw the same guy he was in college, a sometimes physically dominant presence on the football field who struggled at times partly because he took too much on his shoulders, partly because of a deficient supporting cast and partly because he was so raw playing the position that requires the most in the way of refinement and nuance. While this may seem unremarkable, in fact it is quite remarkable because he was now doing it against the highest level of competition. Just ask Anthony Barr. It confirmed his elite athleticism. In this regard he is top 2 or 3 in the league already, and he might even be the best athlete. Last year the braintrust began more seriously to work on his development as a pocket passer and it's certainly encouraging that we saw noticeable improvement in his short and intermediate range accuracy. I think this emphasis may well partly explain his problems with the long ball last year. If that's the case we should expect it to improve, as apparently also do the Bills since, already having John Brown, they have invested through a trade and the draft in WRs who can stretch the field. This should also further benefit his short/intermediate game. I think we also saw some welcome evidence of of his being able to execute touch throws to his backs and TEs upfield though oddly he sometimes still has difficulty dumping the ball off to his backs at or around the LOS. Losman, another good athlete, also struggled with this. Not sure I understand why. Can only be footwork/mechanics. The table has been set for him. Beane and McD have built a strong and deep roster on both sides of the ball that is ready to compete. In particular, the addition of Diggs and Moss is absolutely huge IMO and represents a massive upgrade for Josh and the offence. My sense and expectation is that Allen will continue to improve and that the Bills will be a very difficult assignment for the best opponents. If he breaks out the Bills are probably a top 5 team and in the mix for a deep playoff/championship run.

He certainly looked football fast on tape. I didn't doubt his combine time but I felt he was faster than that.

I think he may develop into an effective game manager and should be quite a bit better than NP. Hardly looks to me like a franchise guy or maybe not even a long term starter (like Dalton) but I think he might have a lengthy NFL career nevertheless. Opinions (not surprisingly) are pretty much all over the place. I think Jeremiah said that had he been in this year's draft he could have been a late first, early second, for what that's worth. He's no Josh Allen but his arm looks adequate to me, especially when he steps into his throws, though I need to see more on the boundaries outside the hash marks. I don't think he can make a living at this level exclusively in the centre of the field. I don't quite understand why people accuse him of being a statue. He's basically a pocket passer project and again no Josh Allen running the football but what little I've seen of his Auburn tape does suggest the ability to take what defences give him and even what may be there on occasion when plays break down (and more so than Brady). There is a likelihood that he implodes unless his O line and RBs can protect and that's why I think Thuney stays. Maybe they ink a new deal next year when the Pats have lots of cap space but clearly they passed on converting him into high draft pick for a reason.

Sure they have weaknesses (as almost every team has) but they also have top tier strengths, which are significant segments. And BB has fielded teams with sub par groupings before (not that long ago their D was a liability, not a strength) and they continued to win. Haven't seen much of him but what I have suggests to me that Stidham is not a dog (Hoyer is a dog). Predictions that the Pats will implode seem to me to be flat out wrong (at first I used a more colourful word). BB will not field a losing team this year. To me their floor is 8-8 and they will probably be better than that. 9-7, 10-6 seem more likely to me. 11-5 is I think a stretch. 12-4 is not happening IMO. Unfortunately the Pats will be competitive within the Division once again. They will not be dominant however.

Right now and on paper I project the Bills as slightly ahead of the Pats as favourites to take the AFCE title, but it's a close call. So much depends on how the respective QBs make out. Josh is clearly ahead of Stidham in terms of experience and development (as well as athleticism and arm strength), but he will be asked to do much more than Stidham and the Pats are very good at getting the best out of their Qbs through coaching and game planning. I see Stidham as potentially adequate this year and given his skillset comfortable running the Pats offence that Bill and Brady have turned to in the last couple of years. On the other hand if Josh is able to show good progression in his third year and make good use of the tools he has been given the odds swing strongly in the Bill's favour since he continues to flash a sky high ceiling. Raw talent is up there with Mahomes, Watson. The whole division will likely be more competitive. Jets had a good draft and some of their FA signings could pan out. Flores looks to me like he could be a good head coach. Those teams are still a year or two away in terms of being consistently good but on any given Sunday they are perfectly capable of beating you. Nothing is given over the course of a season and sometimes things that you were counting on are taken away.

I'm pulling for Duke as I would for any Bills prospect and I think he has a chance to crack the lineup as part of a now competitive WR group. But Fred Jackson was a great and complete football player and in his (regrettably short) prime was absolutely one of the top backs in the league. Just ask Bill B.

Turns out there are few WRs who could justify a #5 overall pick. Only a fraction of receivers drafted in the first round wind up as WR # 1. But I think Davis is still a very desirable commodity. He never developed great chemistry with Tannehill. For most of the year he attracted CB1 coverage helping Brown, he got about 30% fewer targets last year than the year before and had the highest catch % and yards per than the other Titan receivers. Turns out he played most of 2019 with turf toe. It wouldn't surprise me if he had much better 2020 and cash in as a FA.

I agree that, unless Stidham is lightning in a bottle, Dalton would probably give Bill and the Pats a better shot of making the playoffs this year. I think that would require a change in plans however because I don't think Hoyer is there to really compete with Stidham. He is there to mentor Stidham and help him get comfortable with a system Hoyer is totally familiar with. But Hoyer (unlike Dalton) has absolutely no arm (or future as a starting QB) while Stidham's arm seems to be fairly lively so I have no doubt they planned this year to see what they have with the 2nd year fourth rounder. Does Dalton's release change that's? Maybe. Unlike Hoyer Dalton can provide competition for the starting job and if Stidham is not ready he (and the Pats) would be better off with AD under centre.

Agree with the assessment of the Diggs move as well as with what is said about AJ and Moss. The WR strategy was interesting. Hodgins will never break a tackle or produce much YAC at the next level. Probably too slow for STms. Thing is what he does well are also important attributes and he does them at a near elite level even as part of a strong WR class - short area quickness, agility, balance/body control, hands. He projects as a very good possession receiver whether lining up in the slot or outside, and a big time red zone threat. Beane complemented the Hodgins pick with another physical prospect who, unlike Hodgins, flashes the ability to stretch the field. These are good picks who should compete for roster spots. Nothing is given however so we will have to wait to see whether/how well they can develop. Dont know about Fromm. I take the comments of a Bulldogs fan in the Fromm thread about his having benefitted by Georgia's ground game and excellent O-line. Even in his highlights he seems to have outstanding protection.

Maybe too soon after his return but his Rose Bowl tape looks pretty awful. Sure Ohio State D line was good but still. Looks like playing 13 straight games of the 2019 season didn't help his combine results or his draft status. Question isn't whether he is healthy because apparently he is. Question is whether the injuries have permanently diminished this player and sadly that appears to be the case. Agility/lateral mobility, balance and footwork seem to be lacking, but completely. Maybe a player can get by with less of these qualities on the right side but a right tackle (and indeed guards too in today's NFL, whether power man or zone blockers) need to have them too and in no small measure. So I don't hold out much hope for this guy and wouldn't be surprised if he is released outright and is not signed to the PS. Nothing much has been ventured here so it's all basically upside, however unlikely it is to materialize.

Sad news. Way too young. RIP. Bobby Mitchell passed a few days ago too. Great player. Great man.

Early last year his long ball seemed to me Manuelesque bad at times but I thought I saw some improvement, including a few outstanding throws, as the year progressed. Could be wrong but I also thought it was better at WYO, when he used it, which suggested to me that this was partly the result of the process of converting him into more of a pro pocket passer with greater emphasis on short and intermediate range throws. He improved his accuracy with intermediate, including touch throws outside the hash marks, but his short game needs work. Looked like JP at times. Hes got a lot on his plate. Good chance he gets to where he needs to be IMO.

Its possible that he meant Tyrod was dual threat. Rightly or wrongly, thats not how I took it. As someone else has suggested, it may have been after the playoff loss. Nothing against Tyrod. Great athlete. I was always in his corner as long as he wore our colours. Even if their stats (for now)are not dissimilar, Im a lot happier with Allen. Its all about the promise of the upside (something Tyrod just never had).

Sorry I don't. Just my recollection. But he did say it (at least it was reported). I remember being surprised given that they were in the same backfield at the time.

Yeah I can see why the fish would make this trade. It's the same reason why the bengals wouldn't (and won't).

LeSean McCoy said Tyrod was a running back playing quarterback. Pretty much sums up my feelings. If Fitz had been blessed with a stronger arm (maybe like Tyrod's arm) he would have been a very good starting calibre QB.