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And Rex would have just accepted it. He thought players should be allowed to demonstrate their individuality. I love that Frazier is trying to get Hughes to think differently - be more of a team player.

Well, I'm not a millennial. I remember - with great respect - seeing all those guys play live. But I think Rice was better. But I also think that it's a close race. When it comes to RBs, I think Jim Brown and OJ were the cream of the crop - head and shoulders above the rest. When it comes to WR, though, I think it's a tougher call. There's a bunch of roughly equally great guys at the top of the list.

It feels to you like a lot of bumbling around because you don't know Beane's and McD's plan and vision. I'm sure it doesn't feel to them like bumbling around. I believe they're being true to the principles and overall strategy. Beane's a bright guy. When you suggest that he's getting rid of players that Whaley drafted just because, it sounds like your letting your emotions cloud your reason. Which is understandable after 17 years of no playoffs. Beane is too smart to do something like that. He wouldn't have risen the way he has in the NFL if we're indeed that "stupid." What we see in the media is just the tip of the iceberg. It's the other 90% that's intriguing. What is the grand strategy? What's the complete story behind the Darby and Watkins trades? Right now, we're not privy to all that.

There's not necessarily anything wrong with him. It's just that they want a DB more than they want a WR. They probably see Darby as a good fit in their D, however he performed under Rex. The added 3rd rounder was simply market value. If you want something as much as they wanted Darby, you have to pay the price.

Maybe just literate.

Nice post, Marlin. I admit I was so concerned about what we lost that I didn't examine what we gained. As far as I knew, the new guys were jags. Maybe not. When Marv, for example, used to talk about "character," he specifically meant "football character." Marv's ideal player wasn't necessarily a choir boy. But he practiced hard, played hard, studied film, studied the playbook, knew his assignments, showed up on time, and committed himself to not letting his teammates down. Those kind of players do win games. And Matthews seems like that kind of guy.

I had pretty much the same thought when I first learned of the trades. But here's the issue. Winning teams have a few standout players with a bunch of JAGs. You can get JAGs anywhere. It's the standouts who define your team. Both Watkins and Darby have the potential to be standout players. The guys we got combined with the draft picks we'll get just might deliver us four JAGs.

I voted "no." We just traded away one of our best offensive players and one of our best defensive players for guys I just don't know very well. (I don't follow other teams very much). CB and WR were NOT positions where we had excess strength. But I'm open-minded. Beane and McD may know exactly what they're doing. They may have had very compelling reasons to make these trades. Wish we had some behind-the-scenes info.

Looking for a positive spin.... * Darby's sophomore year wasn't as good as his rookie one. And he might not be the right fit for McD's D. * Watkins is perpetually injured and we were probably going to lose him at the end of the season anyway. But I'm just fishing for a silver lining. In fact, I'm stunned. Not at all enthusiastic. But it's too early to say Kelly is wrong.

No, I don't trust them. But I don't distrust them either. It's certainly interesting when they trade away two of our best players. But I'll suspend judgment till I see more from them.

Yeah, I wonder if the coaching staff had issues with both Watkin's and Darby's commitment and/or buy-in. We're only seeing the tip of the iceberg. I wonder what lays hidden underneath.

I thought this was going to be another boring day in Bills land. And then a thermonuclear devices exploded. And then a second one. Trying to understand what's happening.

When we signed TJ Yates, I felt it was partly to have a veteran backup but more to have a guy in the QB room who knows Dennison's offense. And I still believe that. I don't think he'll be on the team next year. I think we're just renting him for a year to help TT learn a new scheme.

MAJ, I appreciate your observations. As someone who wasn't able to watch, it's good to get the perspective of a knowledgeable observer. Much appreciated.

I live on the Left Coast so I don't get to see players at training camp. But I've been surprised and encouraged by the comments observers are making by all three of your choices. I'm starting to believe we're going to field a talented squad on game days.

Dunne wrote a good article on McCoy for B/R. Shady's certainly confident. "There's nothing that I can't do. I can catch the ball. I run routes. I'm a mismatch for defenses. I run the ball inside and run the ball outside. One man can't tackle me. I find a way to get it done." http://bleacherreport.com/articles/2726492-lesean-mccoy-best-running-back-2017-fantasy-football?utm_source=cnn.com&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=editorial

Fair question. But I really think this might be different. The big three used to be football, baseball, basketball. And, for a while, I think football attracted most of the best athletes. But with the concussion issue I think more and more good young athletes are going to other sports. Especially with the rise in the interest in sports like soccer, MMA, etc. Sure the NFL will survive. They'll make safer helmets. They'll change some rules. And they'll expand into other countries. As a business, the NFL will do fine. But with fewer high schoolers playing football each year, we'll have less talent moving up to the college and professional levels. Maybe that'll be offset by more international athletes playing football. Or maybe, just maybe, the Golden Age of professional football is ending. And those of us alive right now are witnessing the peak of NFL history.

Two QBs I could have lived without.

Agreed. My personal golden age ended a while ago.

Nice article by Vic. Easy to root for a guy like Yarbrough. Awesome attitude. Somebody in another thread asked, "Who's this year's Lorax?" Yarbrough gets my vote - not in the sense that I expect him to be a Pro Bowler. But I hope he surprises some people by how good he is, even as a backup.

A lot of guys here - all fanatical football fans - say they won't let their kids play football. Even some NFL players are now saying the same. While I think the NFL will survive, it seems the talent will decrease as more and more good young athletes opt for other sports. While it's unlikely I'll be alive in another 50 years, if I was I think the NFL fans of the day would be envious that I got to see the likes of OJ, Jim Kelly, Jerry Rice, Tom Brady, etc.

More and more pro players are retiring in their 20s. 25,000 fewer high school kids played football last year versus the year before. Are we witnessing the end of the Golden Age of football? Will the better athletes now choose other sports? Will football become the refuge for the guys not good enough for baseball, basketball, soccer, MMA, x-sports, etc? Will our grandchildren be amazed how good the players of the 2000s were compared to the players who came later? Will the players of today be the best players to ever suit up to do battle on the gridiron? http://bleacherreport.com/articles/2726124-report-shows-continuing-drop-in-high-school-football-players?iid=ob_homepage_deskrecommended_pool

I agree. Expecting dramatic change would be folly. But maybe - with Dennison's coaching - we can hope for incremental improvement. Tyrod wasn't a horrible QB last year. And maybe he'll be a little better this season. And then is it too much to hope for that Dennison implements a better passing scheme this year - one tailored to TT's strengths? Neither Roman nor Lynn were particularly strong in the passing game. Those are my two hopes: (1) Tyrod does get a little better, and (2) Dennison's passing scheme is better. Putting the two together, we could have a much more productive passing attack.

It's great some of us old-timers remember. I hated losing Bobby - probably my favorite player at the time. But that wasn't Villapiano's fault and we kept hearing stories about how much Villapiano brought to the locker room and how he effectively mentored the younger players and taught them what it took to win. It seems like AB will have a similar impact.

Boldin's signing reminds me of when the Bills signed Phil Villapiano to play LB back in '80. Phil was a former Pro Bowler and Super Bowl champ. While he was past his prime, he brought a lot to the locker room.