hondo in seattle

Yep... and if I had to pick a group I most wanted to watch it would be the receiving corps. Lot of intriguing new faces.

I wanted to keep TJax, too. We only have one experienced QB on the roster and he's so injury prone, it's hard to guess how long he'll be able to suit up. We might end up playing games with a rookie starter and a rookie backup talking things over with him on the sideline. Then again, Jackson's departure means more reps for EJ (and Tuel) and EJ seems to be doing well with his reps.

And an above average receiving corps. But the ship named Gailey has sailed away and I'm glad. Whatever strengths he had as an OC were ruined by his weakness as a Head Coach. He failed to find a good DC and failed to build a winning culture. But, yeah, as the acting OC he did pretty well with the limited talent he had to work with.

We sucked last year. We have a new Head Coach who is not a proven commodity. Even when he was a good OC with the Saints, he was working under an offensive mastermind. Our DC is also unproven for similar reasons. We haven't named a starting QB yet but either choice is unproven in the NFL. I understand why the preseason power polls rank us near the bottom. But let's dream... What if Pettine is as great as his resume (Top Five in the NFL every year as a DC)? What if Marrone turns out to be the winner his supporters say he will be? What if Hackett, his protege, turns out to be an offensive wunderkind? What if EJ lives up to his potential and our high hopes? So, while I get the polls, I find more reason to hope this year than I have in a looong time. Marrone, Pettine, Hackett, and EJ all might be a lot better than the guys we had in those key positions last year.

Looking at that list, I have to agree that Fred is a Top Ten RB - IF he returns to his previous form and doesn't perform like last year. I'm hoping he does.

Sadly, yes we did.

CJ averaged 6.0 yards per carry last season but 3.6 yards came after contact. That was second best in the league, behind only AP. So was our line good? Or did CJ make them look good? The year before, Freddy also a great YAC metric and also made the line look good. The stats tell an ambivalent story. Fitz got rid of the ball very quickly and therefore didn't get sacked a lot. CJ got lots of yards after contact. And, as kobe888 points out, we didn't always see a lot of push in short yardage situation. While I'm optimistic that Marrone will find a way to move the ball, I think the folks with concerns about the line - especially after Levitre's departure - have a rational argument.

And Fitz had the 4th (tied) fastest time to throw, holding on to the ball less than a 1/10th of a second more than Brady. In other words, the data supports the argument that our line didn't have to hold their blocks for very long on passing plays.

I think Gailey designed his dink and dunk offense to hide both Fitz's and the O Line's deficiencies. Fitz couldn't throw deep and the line - a couple years ago - couldn't keep defenders out of the pocket for very long. It made sense to run short, quick routes. I think the O Line was matured since then. And hopefully it will mature some more with a Head Coach who was a former lineman and line coach. Some of the statistics indicate we had an exceptionally good line last year. But Spiller can do a lot with a very small hole. Freddy was hobbled last year but used to be among the league leaders in Yards After Contact. And Fitz rarely held onto the ball for very long so he didn't get sacked a lot. In other words, I think the QB and RBs helped make the line look good. We'll see.

How did I miss this?!? I do love rain. To a point. Seattle passes that point, but this town & area is beautiful when it is sunny.

I have to agree. Having lived in or near Buffalo, St.Louis, Atlanta, Indianapolis, San Francisco and now Seattle - as well as spending time in other metro areas - clearly Buffalo doesn't have the same quantity or quality of cultural offerings of the bigger cities. When I say "cultural offerings," I mean everything from nightclubs to museums, from concerts to restaurants. And then there's the weather. Certain types of personalities are going to rationally prefer the bigger cities and cities with more temperate climates. I don't mean to offend anyone but there are reasons cities like Miami and San Francisco, for example, attract more tourists than Buffalo. But I also agree with some other points made on the board... some players will like Buffalo... some players will happily play where ever the paycheck is the biggest... some players really want to play for a winning team.... Every player has his own set of priorities and preferences. In the end, I don't think the Bills will have a huge disadvantage signing FAs if Whaley & Overdorf manage the cap well and Marrone starts getting some wins.

It will be interesting to find out. Maybe CJ won't average 6 YPC if he gets 20 carries per game. But Hackett's right, we should find out. Let's see what CJ can do with more touches. On the other hand, I don't want to neglect Freddy.

Yeah. I don't care if it's Kolb, Tuel or EJ. If any of these guys turns out to be as good as Jim Kelly - or even close - and lead us to the playoffs, I'll be in celebration mode.

I agree most players probably think like this. For the partying exceptions, we aren't going to be in the running. Some guys like the South Beach scene or the L.A. vibe or whatever. I hate to say it, but Buffalo doesn't have as much to offer the young rich bachelor as most other NFL cities. But if Whaley and Marrone return the Bills to the playoffs - and manage the cap intelligently - we'll be able to successfully entice good FAs.

Astro, thanks from Seattle!!! When I heard EJ's name called on draft day, I figured he'd hold the clipboard for at least half the season. But your reports, and other sources (e.g. Peter King), make me feel he'll be lining up under center on opening day.

As a former army captain, who always thought of Marines kindly as jarheads, I've now decided to always spell Marine with a capital M. Service deserves respect.

The curse is over. It's time to stop living in the past and celebrate our currently Buffalo Bills. I voted for CJ who's going to the Pro Bowl this year.

I had the same operation as Troup. Not sure what he's talking about. Maybe 7 months after my operations, I asked my doc what my limitations were? Mixed martial arts? Roller derby? He told me "Let your body be your guide." He went on to explain my spine will actually be as strong or stronger than before the way the two vertebrae were fused together, but obviously my flexibility will never be the same. From my understanding, he's not really risking life-long issues. I wonder, though, if the loss of flexibility effects his leverage?

If Marrone turns out to be as good a NFL head coach as I think he will.... If Pettine is as good out of Rex's shadow as I think he can be... If EJ turns out to be the kind of QB I think he can be... If the new WRs step up and live up to their perceived potential... If the Bills stay healthy... This will be a really fun season to watch! How many IFs is that? I understand the optimism because I feel it too - the most I've had since Levey and Kelly teamed up. But I get the Negative Nancies, too.

I agree but will add some other thoughts. If he's in the middle of the pack or better of the QB ratings (efficiency, QBR), that would be a good start for a rookie. If he leads the team to a 8-8 or better record, that would be a good start for a rookie. If he throws more TDs than INTs, that would be great too. Let's remember that Jim Kelly didn't have a great rookie season with the Bills, despite some post-collegiate seasoning in the USFL. Then again, with Spiller and Jackson in the backfield, EJ doesn't need to be team's saviour.

Yep, I agree. None of the talking heads are perfect. No GM is perfect. Talent evaluation can be tricky business. But Kirwan clearly knows football better than most of the guys who make a living commenting on it.

Another kick-the-tires signing.

Hackett says that the five best need to be on the field at the same time. Makes sense. On the other hand, there aren't a lot of successful offensive schemes that utilize two HBs. I know a lot of people are enamored with CJ - and rightly so - but a couple years ago Freddy was a beast. I believe he was leading the league in Yards After Contact. He was practically a one man offense for a while. If he returns to form, he needs some touches. Marrone and Hackett seem like creative guys. Let's see if they are creative enough to find a way to get both these guys on the field.

Obviously, Freddy will spell CJ when he's tired. But that's it? I hope to see Freddy and CJ in the same huddle with some mystery as to where they'll line up when they come out. Done intelligently, this could stress defenses and meet Hackett's criterion that the best five should be on the field. One play might feature a two-back set. The next play, Freddy lines up the slot. The next play, CJ goes out wide.... Maybe when CJ and Freddy on the field together, CJ is always the tailback while Freddy is the wildcard. When your best two offensive players are both RBs, I think you need to be a little creative on how you use them. And I think Hackett will.

Hackett has said more than once that he wants the five best skill positions on the field. I can't imagine he doesn't count both CJ and FredEx amongst the top five. Marrone says: “I think we’ve got two good running backs that are established in this league that have done well. I think it’d be too soon to say exactly what (Jackson’s) role is. You see them in a lot of different situations. I think we have a lot of things we can do with them.” http://www.democratandchronicle.com/article/20130801/SPORTS03/308010052/Buffalo-two-bills-drive-Bills-break-new-role-Fred-Jackson Pat Kirwan says: "The Bills are going to be a very dangerous "20" personnel team (two running backs. three wide receivers). Expect to see a lot of Fred Jackson and C.J. Spiller on the field together with Stevie Johnson, Robert Woods and probably T.J. Graham. Spiller can split out to wide receiver, Jackson is a willing blocker if they want to run power and there's lots of speed on the outside." http://www.cbssports.com/nfl/blog/pat-kirwan/22951661/bills-observations-in-qb-battle-prepared-rookie-manuel-looks-to-get-nod If Freddy returns to his 2011 form, he needs to be on the field. But where? Fortunately, as we all know, he's versatile. He's not a crushing lead blocker but he's excellent at blitz pick-up. He's a talented, determined runner and a solid pass-catcher. And he's also a humble, team-player who's willing to do anything asked of him. I'm wondering how creative Marrone & Hackett might be in getting him on the field with C.J. Any guesses?