hondo in seattle

While losing Gilmore, Woods and MG hurts, I think our coaches will help many/most of the remaining players perform better. Which means our 2017 roster is actually somewhat better than our 2016 roster. I'm thinking 8 or 9 wins.

At 17, I could run a 4.8. At 34, I could still run maybe a 5.8. On second thought, maybe a 6.8. Count me as impressed by old-man Lorax.

I think some of us are underestimating the importance of coaching. Rex and his defensive coaching did not perform well last year. Too often our guys look unprepared and played from different sheets of music. I really like ALynn and think he did some really nice things in the run game. But he had zero background in the passing game and it showed. This new coaching staff isn't perfect and they'll make some mistakes as well. But - on the whole - we'll be better schematically and we'll execute better as well. I think, despite some roster attrition, we'll win more games in '17 than we did in '16.

That's what I was thinking. If a team had a back as talented as Shady back in the 70s, that offense would be getting a lot of respect. But's it's not the 70s anymore. Rules have changed and offenses have evolved and it's a 'passing league' now. But yards are still yards and they still lead to touchdowns. If Shady stays healthy, I think he'll have a big year.

Funny, I probably didn't watch the Super Bowl for 10 years or so around that same time frame. I was still haunted by the Bills losses and didn't care to watch another SB.

A small quibble here... Comparing Marrone to Patton is an insult to Patton. Patton was much more than a disciplinarian with a loud mouth. The guy had tremendous leadership skills.

I get that you didn't compare Hardy to Watkins. I'll even grant you've made some good points. But I don't understand the need for rude remarks. Rudeness just makes this forum less pleasant for everyone.

Nice post CoC - good information presented in an organized way! Clearly our roster has some holes. This gives me some hope that 1 or 2 of those holes might be plugged yet - at least partially so.

Agreed. I personally don't watch the combine but this seems like a perfectly valid reason to me.

I think the people who call Sammy a bust are the people who tend to overstate their frustrations. And there are reasons to be frustrated. Sammy's talent is obvious to even a casual observer. But his actual production so far hasn't been commensurate with the draft-price we paid for him. That's also obvious. I'm sure the Bills are open to trading him like they're open to trading any player if the offer is good enough. Being open to a trade is not the same as shopping him. And in regards to the level of discourse here, I would welcome the mods banning posters who tend to say idiotic things. There are way too many ad hominem attacks in place of rational argument. It's okay to disagree but I don't understand why we have to attack each other. As long-suffering Bills fans with shared love of this team, we should be a band of brothers.

I get why you mentioned China - it's the most populous county in the world. But China's not the only foreign country into the NBA. I was once running down a footpath through a jungle in the Philippines when I oddly encountered a basketball court. I had seen one primitive nipa hut nearby but otherwise no homes in the area - no buildings of any kind. I later asked an urban Filipino about this and he didn't think it surprising at all that I found a b-ball court deep in the jungle. He explained that the NBA is hugely popular in the Philippines. I've also traveled in South America and the Middle East where the locals tried to connect with me by talking about the NBA - a league I know virtually nothing about. I was rarely - if ever - asked about American football when I was overseas. Basketball is easy to understand and nearly non-stop action. And you don't need to be a deeply-studied aficionado to appreciate the skill and athleticism of NBA athletes. So it's no surprise that the NBA stars show better on this list than the NFL stars. And I don't really care. I still like football better.

I want Shady to get more touches - both more rushing attempts and more catches. He tends to do good things when the the ball comes to him. Then again, too many touches and we'll wear him down and/or hurt him.

I think about Bob almost every Memorial Day - he was a brave American who understood commitment. But thanks for the reminder PTR. FYI, Bob's still remembered by the army... Return to Fort Campbell home page IN PROCESSING In-Out Processing Section Military Personnel Division lLT J. Robert Kalsu Replacement Company New Arrival Information All Soldiers arriving to Fort Campbell, KY will report to the Fort Campbell 1LT J. Robert Kalsu Replacement Company, Bldg. 6916 on the corner of 34th Street and Desert Storm Avenue to sign in, 24 hours a day and 7 days a week with the following: DA Form 31, PCS Orders, Personnel File (201), Medical Records, Dental Records and Finance Envelope. Also Soldiers reporting between 0600 and 1700 must be in BDU s. Replacement company cadre will coordinate in-processing for newly arrived Soldiers and provide billeting for single Soldiers E5 and below. Soldiers accompanied by their families and soldiers in ranks of E6 and above are authorized billeting on a space available basis in the Turner Guest House, 82 Texas Avenue (near Gate -I, phone number 270--139-2229.) The lLT J. Robert Kalsu Replacement Company Dining Facility (DFAC), Bldg 6919 on the corner of 34th Street and Desert Storm Avenue, provides food service support for Soldiers billeted at the replacement company. For additional information, requesting a leave extension or reporting a change in your arrival date, contact the replacement company at Commercial (270) 798-2813 or 956-1192; DSN 635-2813 or 363-1192.

Even though Marv had a losing record in KC, there was something about the Polian/Levy combination that inspired hope in a lot of us fans. There seemed to be a plan, and a will to get it done. I confess I feel a bit of that now. Usually I have reservations about the GM, or the HC, or both, and/or the chemistry between them. This year so far, I'm feeling pretty good about our new GM/HC combo and the staff they've hired. But ask me again in December.

A bit off-topic but 2 of 9 NFL.com experts are picking Shady to win the rushing title this year in Dennison's zone-blocking scheme: Bucky Brooks Writer | NFL.com + Follow On Twitter Bills built to let Shady shine Shady McCoy will lead the NFL in rushing. The Buffalo Bills will continue to be a ground-and-pound team. Even though a new coaching staff is coming over, Rick Dennison is bringing in a zone-based system that has really helped running backs flourish. McCoy is a perfect fit in the I-formation and should have a lot of success behind a big offensive line. Plus, defensive-minded head coach Sean McDermott wants to make sure the offense controls the ball and keeps the defense off the field. Alex Gelhar Writer | NFL.com + Follow On Twitter In Buffalo's new offense, LeSean McCoy is poised to claim his second rushing crown We haven't had a repeat winner in this category since NFL Network's own LaDainian Tomlinson did it in 2006 and 2007. So, keeping with that trend, I'll give my vote to LeSean McCoy. Shady will be the focal point of a Buffalo offense that is now being run by Rick Dennison, who did remarkable things as the offensive coordinator for Arian Foster back in Houston. When taking a stab at projecting the rushing leader, my thought process is to find a talented back in a solid offense who should see a high number of touches. McCoy checks all those boxes and has thrived in a brand new offense before: Shady led the league in rushing in 2013, his first year with Chip Kelly. http://www.nfl.com/news/story/0ap3000000811091/article/2017-rushing-title-predictions-will-ezekiel-elliott-keep-the-rb-throne

I'm getting old. I've seen lots of coaches and GMs come and go. I'm always a little hopeful when there's a change but that hope is tempered by years of disappointment. So far I like "this new way of doing things." But that's a preliminary and cautious "like." Let's see some real games before we judge.

I will go with safety Joe Powell just because nobody's mentioned him yet and because of his non-linear, non-traditional path to the NFL which included an unpaid gig in semi-pro football. "Depending on who showed up for the game would depend on where I was going to play. Sometimes I played middle linebacker, sometimes I played safety, sometimes I played corner. I played D-line sometimes. And I always played receiver, because I was very unstoppable out there." http://buffalonews.com/2017/05/26/powells-long-unlikely-journey-leads-second-chance-bills/

I'm sure we could find 117 'experts' on this board who think they can scout better than actual scouts.

I remember when Gruden said he talked to his wife about being an assistant at Oregon, just so he could learn what Chip was doing. It is indeed an odd career arc - arguably a dramatic fall from grace.

Yeah. I'm starting to feel good about our front 7. It's the back four that worry me. Poyer is our starting safety? One of our starting CBs looks to be a rookie and the other is a guy who struggle a bit last year. I do feel better about Hyde than some others. Still, the defensive backfield doesn't inspire tons of confidence in me at this point.

This is interesting. And, in a way, I hate to lose him. But he's not good enough to beat out Cordy and as a backup Kujo tackle has to be able to play both sides. (And not run around in his underwear speaking incoherently).

The attack on PTR was unnecessary. But the first two lines did strongly refute PTR's dismissal of Polian's POV. Polian may be getting old, but he still knows more about football than anyone on this site. I'm personally grateful to the guy for being the only GM to build a SB team here in Buffalo. His resume really does speak for itself.

Wierd.... "Due to privacy-related concerns, we are unable to comment on the circumstances. We can say that the circumstances do not involve any allegations of criminal wrongdoing and are unrelated to cadet Robinette’s professional football pursuits."

True enough. But he oddly hasn't played well as a RT. If you're going to be a backup tackle, you have to play both sides. His deficiencies on the right side of the line, combined with the off field stuff, and he's not worth a roster spot in Beane's eyes.

No one got enough touches. We had the ball for 19 minutes.