hondo in seattle

I had a professor in college who said all social scientists could be divided into two groups: lumpers and splitters. Lumpers like to lump things (concepts, theories, etc) together. Splitters liked to split things apart. CBF is a lumper. He's going to lump all threads into two meta-threads: Positive and Negative. There's no reason for any other threads. Except that most of us are splitters and we want a myriad of independent threads about about inane Bills related subjects.

OC, this is crazy! I'm not exactly a wus who has spent his life in a protective cocoon. I've led soldiers into combat, hung out in bad neighborhoods on three different continents, and have broken up more than my share of drunken bar room scuffles in my time. But I've never been in a fist-fight since my freshman year of college because the bandit is right. Fights are avoidable. P.S. Actually, I am a wus now - a middle-aged, family-oriented one. And very happy about it.

No. The bottom of the roster doesn't matter. The top of the roster matters and Percy Harvin was a good pickup.

There are a lot of good players on the list but I gotta jump on the JC bandwagon for the same reason as everyone else: CJ's skill set fits Sean Payton's offense. Shady will have many more yards rushing than CJ but Sports Center will show more highlights of CJ this year.

Other than Peyton Manning, which was a bit of an anomaly, when was the last time a team allowed a franchise QB become a FA? I suppose the thing about Rivers is that the same club did let Drew Brees go.

Great summation by KtD. And I agree that I don't know. So I'm not sure how's I'd feel if Kaep became available and we signed him. I suppose my main feeling would simply be curious.

I gotta admit - that's impressive for a man his age.

It's amazing what age does to you. When I was young, I could throw a ball 55-60 yards. I didn't have a strong arm as much as I had good technique (for a WR). Now, a couple years older than Herschel, I can barely toss it 25 yards now. It's embarrassing. I can see a high school football practice field out my back window. Sometimes I think - with just a little bit of hubris and forgetting the ravages of age - I should go out there and show those kids up. I probably run a 10 second 40 now. I can't show anybody up. When I turn 60, maybe I'll find a touch league for senior citizens 60 and up. Maybe in that group I could be competitive again. Just maybe. If Walker can really run a 4.3, he's some kind of freak of nature. But I don't believe it. Father Time is unforgiving.

I'm not saying this to defend EJ but I think QBR is a flawed stat and almost worthless as a gauge of QBs. It attempts to evaluate how "clutch" certain plays are and weighs them accordingly. It also attempts to divide credit for passes among the QB, receivers and blockers and then weigh the play accordingly. There's just too much subjectivity and mathematical gymnastics in the QBR. To give just one example of the goofiness of the QBR. One week in 2011 Tebow had a higher QBR than Aaron Rodgers. Tebow went 4 for 10 for 79 yards and a TD in a loss. Rodgers went 26 for 39 for 396 yards and two TDs in a win. Any system that rates Tebow's performance higher is clearly broken. Criticize EJ all you want but don't use the QBR to support your cause.

JP was a great community guy. Used to participate in community clean up programs, as I recall. Didn't help him on the field.

If you didn't open the link, Kryk says this: I don’t get to watch many Bills practices. But over the past three years I’ve seen him at rookie mini-camp, at OTAs, at three mandatory mini-camps, at two training camps and in games home and away. Manuel on Thursday looked as good as I’ve seen him. He was confident, assertive in his decisions, stepped aggressively into his throws, and was accurate everywhere: short, deep, on the flanks and over the middle.

This.

I don't know how the hell you found the IP Intelligence article. Who reads this stuff?

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.