Gabe Northern

Funny. When I read the OP, I immediately began scrolling down to see how you'd manipulate the news as evidence to bolster you apologia for the front office.

One wonders whether his fall to the 4th round was due, in part, to his drug use. Again, substance abuse program requires 2 positive tests for suspension. The first puts you in the program. You should never have a first positive test because you know when the test occurs. Once in the program, testing occurs randomly. The second positive test gets you a 4 game suspension. This means Nelson likely tested positive when he reported to camp last year or at the combine. There is also a reasonable suspicion standard, but that generally requires legal imbroglio (getting pulled over while smoking a blunt, for example, even if no drug charges are filed).

Text from Bills I'm hoping steroids to get bigger/stronger to block in run game. At least that would show dedication. Plus steroids is a one-strike suspension. If this is drugs it means it was his second positive test.

Whatever. He was the key to springing Evans on the TD. Drew the second man, which allowed Evans to get THAT open. How many catches do you think a #2 WR would have in a season? 50 would be amazing. At 43 snaps per game (2/3rds of the 65 offensive plays on average) that would be about 1 catch per 20 snaps. That's about where he is.

They need to get him on the field. Very worried he leaves after the season, gets moved to SS, manages to stay healthy, and turns into a Pro Bowler. After watching Whitner take another terrible angle last night, I am done with him. We know what we're losing if Whitner walks after the season (not much). Get Youboty on the field.

My thinking exactly. Kelsay is donezo. I have been predicting since January, so I guess you could say I read the recent news reports with some built-in bias, but I do believe Ellis is being profiled to explain why Kelsay was expendable. And if one thing was made clear last season with the Walker release, it's that Ralph does not pay $3 million + per year for backups. Also why I would not be surprised to see Kawicka get the axe. Interesting point about Druckenmiller. Would be interesting to see how committed he'd been to keeping the team in WNY though.

You forgot to put a + in the subject line.

I think the panicking game principally from people who didn't appreciate how terrible this team will be in 2010. It was like all of a sudden the Redskins game made them realize that the formula of "6-10 in 2009 + much better coach = 8-9 wins in 2010" didn't add up. Transitions are tough, especially those on defense that involve position changes in addition to changes in schemes. Unless Chan can find a way to improve offensive line play dramatically, this looks to be a team that can't score and can't stop anybody. Not a great combo.

The hating on Arthur Moats for sucking as ILB in his first ever snaps at the position is beyond stupid. Not only is it unfair given how new he is to the position, it was idiotic that the Bills projected him inside. Because he's only 6' 249? Oh, you mean like James Harrison - the guy he most closely resembles on the field.

Can't wait to read how people defend the Bills' decision to trade out of the top pick if a new rookie wage scale isn't in place in time for the draft. "$60 million guaranteed to an unproven QB? You have to be out of your mind. It was smart that the Bills traded down for the 15 overall pick and a 2nd."

Who's better than he? Teams don't get better by creating new holes to fill.

This is the direction it's headed (or place it's already reached), no doubt about it. It's unfortunate. The question is whether it will really crowd out all of the cities you mention, or just Buffalo, JAX, Cincy, and a couple of others. Combined economy of Buffalo-Rochester still smaller than most cities. Add Southern Ontario (net of Toronto) and we're in the middle of the pack.

This is the key. The team is a collection of losers, waiting for that decisive play each game that will send the team to yet another defeat. That needs to change. In the process, the defense will be much worse. Going from a conservative cover-2 to an aggressive 3-4 with most of the same personnel is going to lead to a number of big plays, out-of-position OLBs getting exposed, an undersized front getting physically handled, and a talented secondary learning it doesn't have the same protection it used to rely on. Putting this together with a team that returns the O-line and offensive weapons from a year ago means 4-12 is very much in play. But maybe they'll finally have the loser beaten out of them, as keeping it close will no longer be the name of the game.

Jonathan Scott performed well for the Stillers. Why is Chambers on this team instead of him? It doesn;t make any sense since Chambers was cut last year.

What matters to the bottom line isn't the $40 seats in the upper deck. It's the $650,000 luxury suites that sell for barely more than 1/10th of that in RWS. Go to other cities. See what is paid for premium seats and boxes. This will become more clear to you.

He knows Martz's system. This is a no brainer. Go get a 6th rounder. Just think how excited people get about Levi Brown. Another 6th rounder is well worth it.

Arthur Moats should be at OLB. This is the real outrage. Just let him rush the passer on the edge. Guarantee he'd outperform Maybin THIS SEASON in that role.

How about making the playoffs? That would be pretty sweet, from my perspective. A couple 2-14s would be just fine with me if it meant a playoff game at the Ralph for the first time since JAX. The alternative of 5-9 wins and no playoffs is the real hell as a fan.

I think the point is that it's worth the drop off in wins/production to get new guys in there to see what they can do. If Arthur Moats might be very good in 3 years at OLB, then cut Kelsay and give him the snaps even if it means much worse on-field production in 2010.

He makes the team, with one preseason game as an undrafted rookie? Chan seems to suggest so. “They’re taking him in for evaluation,” said Gailey. “It doesn’t look good, but I don’t think its long term. The question is whether he’ll be able to get back for the first of the season.”

Andre Reed's rookie year was 1985. Jim Kelly arrived in Buffalo in 1986.

Exactly right. Evans is our most talented player on offense. Would I rather have a legit #1 like Larry Fitzgerald? Yes. Does Evans deserve to make as much money as Fitz and other premier receivers? No. But the NFL doesn't work that way. If you drafted (or signed) a guy who pans out, you have to pay market rates to keep him. Just like the people arguing there was some magical "find some decent guy for $5 million per year" solution to the Jason Peters impasse. It's not how it works. Do you want to pay decent guys market rate (when they might not technically be worth it)? Or do you want to keep allowing guys to walk and miss the playoffs for 11+ years?

I don't think Maybin weighs more than 241 pounds. He and Vernon Davis are both listed at 250 (Maybin is 6'4", Davis is 6'3"). Have you seen the pictures of them in Puerto Rico? If Maybin is 250 lbs, Davis must be 275. At least. Assuming Davis' actual weight is roughly the same as listed, I'd guess Maybin weighs somewhere in the 225-235 range.

This is 100% correct. It is impossible to forecast how going from 235 to 260 would impact his quickness. How lightning quick do you think a safety would look lined up as an edge pass rusher? Maybin is basically Taylor Mays playing OLB/DE.

merideth is struggling mightily in camp. Doesn't generate push in run game, has been beaten by the likes of Maybin on pass plays. Don't see him getting cut, but that's only because of our situation.