hondo in seattle

Any player acquisition is a roll of the dice. And 31 other smart GMs are trying to outmaneuver and outsmart you. And then the salary cap complicates everything. Given the challenges, no GM is going to win all the time. Whaley has done a good job building this team. It doesn't seem he's succeeded at QB or OL yet. But we need to judge the overall body of work and give him more time. Let's see what kind of team the Bills field this year? Will it be significantly better than the team Whaley inherited?

I don't know and don't care. I guess if it is voted by the players, it's more credible - or at least more interesting. But again, players don't do a comprehensive study of their peers. They study their opponents and otherwise rely heavily on Sports Center and the media. Again, media guys with poor film study habits will shape the opinion. Players on winning teams and those in bigger markets get more media attention. The kids on these teams do watch TV and are influenced by it. If I was interested in anything, it would be how NFL pro scouting departments rank players. I'd love to see that! I'm somewhat interested in how the stats gurus at PFF and elsewhere rank players. While their methodology is flawed, it does measure something.

How about a list of sports journalists ranked by credibility?

Whatever. Some guy who doesn't study film writes a Top 100? I guess it generates interest but it's not scientific nor does it provide a particularly informed opinion. So who cares?

Napolean said an army runs on its stomach. Bills fans run on hope. Almost every season over the past 10+ years I reach a point where I say, "I'm done with the Bills" but soon enough the hope creeps back in and I'm back cheering them on.

I agree. Some of these guys seem to talk/write just to meet a deadline and keep their job. It's amazing how uninformed, uninsightful and uninteresting many media guys are. In fact - and I hate to be mean-spirited - what makes some of these guys interesting is my amazement at how uninformed they are.

#1. You're right. #2. Maybe so. Cassel in his best years was very productive. But those were long ago and that worries me. But if he wins the starting job and plays like his best year at KC, I'll be happy. Hoping TT or EJ steps up isn't entirely a pipe-dream. Young QBs sometimes take big steps forward. Drew Brees took a huge step forward in his 4th year and didn't truly blossom until later with the Saints. Sometimes even older QBs have breakout seasons late in their careers. Jim Plunkett floundered in mediocrity for a decade before becoming productive with the Raiders, for example. Anyway, I'm a fan and fans live on hope. So I'm hoping Cassel plays like it's 2010, or EJ plays like Cassel did in 2010, or TT does the same.

I was surprised by how many Dolphin's defended Richie when the whole Jonathon Martin thing came out. Many of his Fins teammates viewed him as a good person and a leader in the locker room, regardless of the classless texts & voicemails. I'm expecting him to be a quality starter for us. And I think experience has taught him some hard lessons that will make him a better teammate.

Downing seemed to think EJ's accuracy issues - which were really timing issues - were correctable. Maybe that's just happy-talk, I don't know. We've already seen Cassel at his very best and I'm hoping for something better. I'm hoping either EJ or TT - or both - have improved their games to the point that they're significantly better than MC.

The secret to happiness as told by CtB. Or as Genghis Khan put it: “The greatest happiness is to scatter your enemy, to drive him before you, to see his cities reduced to ashes, to see those who love him shrouded in tears, and to gather into your bosom his wives and daughters.”

What more could you want in life?

EJ will win the starting job and lead us to the playoffs. Fred will have 500+ yards rushing. Manny Lawson will be one of the stars of our defense.

Do we have a solid OL???

From Marc Sessler at NFL.com: 7. Bills: LeSean McCoy, Fred Jackson, Anthony Dixon, Bryce Brown, Karlos Williams Buffalo is a candidate to lead the league in carries under Rex Ryan. Still, it's worth noting thatLeSean McCoy's yards per tote last season (4.2) dropped almost a full yard off his 1,600-yard outburst in 2013. I'm not in love with this offensive line -- or the LeBron-free quarterback mess -- but the Bills have an intriguing mix of young talent behind the aging Fred Jackson. Bryce Brown feels like the odd man out if Anthony Dixon outplays him. Shady's old team was ranked #1. None of our AFCE brethren made the top 15 (Jets were #20). http://www.nfl.com/news/story/0ap3000000496901/article/ranking-nfl-backfields-from-no-1-to-32

Regarding EJ's accuracy problems, this quote from Todd Downing (EJ's QB coach last year) is telling: "People have a big misconception about accuracy for quarterbacks. People think that because a quarterback is accurate, it's because he has great aim with the football. It's not aim... Most of the time accuracy comes from being on time and throwing it to the right spot in the read." Reading between the lines, it seems like Downing was saying EJ had some problems being on time and throwing to the right spot in the read. Presumably, Downing was working on those issues with EJ last year. Hopefully, they're correctable. Regarding FireChan's contention that EJ didn't grasp the offense, Downing seemed to evaluate EJ very differently: "He knows plays like the back of his hand. Pre-snap checks, package play options and finding the mismatch were all things he had a firm grasp of heading into training camp." http://www.buffalobills.com/news/article-1/EJ-Manuel-building-trust-into-his-game/87ea5dec-2434-4474-ad00-363b22f289a1

You said EJ 'couldn't grasp the offense.' Marrone's quote doesn't support your assertion. Marrone's only says they're reevaluating how much to give EJ in his rookie year (the quote was from 2013) and perhaps cut back. Evaluating how much a rookie can handle is perfectly normal. In any case, no QB runs the whole offensive playbook every week. Not even close. I stand by what I previously wrote: saying EJ couldn't grasp Marrone's offense is wild speculation and I think it unlikely. EJ may have shortcomings but understanding an offense isn't one of them IMHO.

Many, many years ago my mom tended to believe in the big dumb jock theory - that the guys who played football professionally just weren't bright enough to do anything better. Jack Kemp be damned! Here's yet another example showing how diverse football players can be - and how many succeed off the gridiron.

Haven't we been talking about this very topic for several months now? Does it really need a new thread? In any case, I'll play... We won 9 games last year. I think the addition of Rex, Roman, Percy, Shady, Clay, Incognito, etc ought to give us at least 1 more win which puts us on the cusp.

Thanks for the summary. Rex's answer about the LeBron remark was pretty good.

This is just wild speculation. There are stories out of Florida State that EJ was only asked to scan half the field. Having a problem going quickly through progressions - if true - is not the same as saying the guy can't grasp a complicated NFL offense. By all accounts, EJ is a playbook junkie. I seriously doubt Marrone took plays out of the playbook because EJ couldn't grasp the offense. If there was a problem with players grasping and executing the offense, my hunch it was because (as we've heard) the coaches weren't always aligned.

No harm, no foul.

Now that I have a date, I booked my plane tickets.

I have an unopened box of Kelly Krunch. Sadly, I recently discovered that my Flutie Flakes have disappeared. My step-children, having grown up on the island of Mindanao in the Philippines, apparently don't appreciate the sacrosanct nature of Bills memorabilia. It's a mystery beyond the comprehension of the uninitiated. Obviously, I'm failing as a step-dad.

I haven't been this positive about the Bills organization in a long time... Brandon isn't involved in football decisions any more and does what he does best. In fact, he's very good at the marketing/business side of football as far as I can tell. We have billionaire owners who are passionate about the team, about the city, and about restoring the Bills to glory. I believe our Big Three coaches (HC, OC, DC) are all capable guys. Jeff Littman isn't the CFO anymore. Whaley has done a brilliant job building this roster. Yep, we all know QB is the exception - so far. But let's remember something. Two HOF coaches (Bill Walsh, Marv Levy) though TE was going to be a good one. Nobody bats 1.000 on QBs and I'm not sure any good QBs have been available since Whaley starting calling the shots.

It's way too early this season to assess any of our QBs yet. I do think, however, that you can evaluate a QB when he's practicing against a good D. While the completion percentage might be lower than you want, you can still visually judge ball placement, progressions, timing, footwork, mechanics, and so on.