faderphreak

First I will state that I referring to Reed being poised for having a good season for a number three receiver. I sincerely apologize for not qualifying that or defining the word poise ( http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/poise[1]). Now before I waste my time researching the stats of the number three receiver on top 10 NFL teams last year, I will ask a simple question. What do you feel is a big season for a number three receiver? Please refrain from giving me numbers for a number one or number two receiver and think in terms of a slot guy. Comparing the stats and expectations of a number three receiver with those of number one and number two receivers is not really logical. While I realize I live in a state where logic and reason are suspended I'm personally not ready to give up on them. I still stand by my opinion about Reed being poised to have a very big season. As I qualified in my first post I know you can't take the 2002 year as an absolute indicator but that is the last time Reed had an actual bona fide number two receiver on the field with him. In that year Moulds caught 100 balls, Price caught 94 balls, both going for over 1200 yards. Riemersma (32) and Moore (16) chipped in another 48 catches. Travis (Captain Cocaine) Henry by himself rushed for almost 1400 yards on 325 carries that year, along with another 43 receptions. Factor in another 44 receptions and 23 carries by Larry Centers(43/13) and Shawn Bryson(1/10), who basically shared the role of Jackson, and the backs on the 2002 team had 435 touches. Last year between carries and catches Marshawn (250/1036, 47/300) and Freddy (130/571, 37/317) combined for 464 total touches. While I'm not disputing your concern about Trent looking out of his ear hole, the argument that there are not enough touches to go around is not really valid to me. Especially when considering that the 2K2 offense didn't run the no huddle and the intent this year is to use it a bunch, which usually results in an offense running more plays overall. While our offensive line is a serious concern I would hardly consider the 2002 line of Jennings, Brown, Teague, Sullivan and super bust Mike Williams as world beaters. In fact I'm pretty sure that line had three guys that were first year starters. If Trent can make the right read and get the ball out quickly to the open man he can help negate that weakness. Hopefully you can see where I'm coming from in my opinion that Reed is poised for a very good year. The last time he had the kind of talent around him that he'll have this year he was a rookie that caught 37 for over 500 yards and two TDs. At that time he had two veteran tight ends and one of the greatest pass catching backs in NFL history gobbling up touches that Moulds, Price, and Henry weren't getting. At this point in his career Reed is a way more polished a route runner, understands coverages and where to squat to get the open looks, and is one of the better blockers. With LE and TO commanding double teams, an inexperienced and unproven TE corps, as well as linebackers forced to crowd the line to account for the RBs, a guy that has already developed into Trent's security blanket should get a lot of opportunity to make plays or help others make hem. At this point in his career I think he's in a position to really take advantage of it. You might say he is poised...

Way to go Clark. Love the fact you finished with the Tylenol joke.

Funny. There are so many different things to respond to in this thread I don't know where to start. It seems this place has become so much more snarky and in some ways straight up childish than when I first joined back in the mid 90s but I digress. I think it will suffice to just say this... Going into training camp I feel Josh Reed looks to be poised for a very big season. I don't know about the comparisons to his rookie season because that year Drew Bledsoe was slinging it very deep to 1 and 1a so much that the middle and underneath were wide open way more than I expect them to be with Edwards throwing. With that said, if one of those other guys that are being discussed as being better prospects than Reed are truly better then they will have the opportunity to prove it in camp. If they can't do it there they don't deserve to unseat him and send him to the waiver wire. After all if they can't beat the Bill's number one or number two defenses in practice, what would lead anyone to believe they would beat the other teams number one defense in a live game situation It all boils down to one of the oldest adages: May the best man win!

I remember listening to that game on AM radio from Maryland while attending Job Corps in Chicoppee Mass. WoW!

It was one of the Falcons, Phillips or Walker I think. It wasn't so much a big hit though. It was more of a freak thing. I remember the guy's foot just flopping around. Kelly had a few hits that were much more crushing than that one.

Anyone remember the blowout game against the Falcons at Rich when just before the half, trailing 38-zip, Deion ran one back for a touchdown on what I seem to recall being a lateral. He was celebrating and talking all kinds of smack. Steve Tasker just looked at him, pointed at the scoreboard, smiled and walked away. I'll never forget that one. I was laughing my a$$ off.

Hard to get run over when you are getting out of the way

Just more proof that Texas players are flakes! Maybe it's because they have never had to face adversity and when they do they can't handle the pressure? Or they are just spoiled babies? It could just be that like many (note: I didn't say most or all) Texans I've known they talk a good game but are truly lazy. I mean come on they hunt deer using feeders in reserves down there. Vince Young Mike Williams Ricky Williams Chris Simms Michael Huff Derrick Dockery The list goes on and on. Maybe it was different back in the day but when you look at the top Longhorns in NFL history, none came out earlier than 93. Flame away Texans

Not to drag this out much further, as in my opinion both sides have argued their points as far as they can go. However, I agree you don't need to have a gun and a badge to get away with something, but it certainly helps. The only thing better may be to be a child of a public official or a multimillionaire. Frankly, I know a lot of cops both here in FL where I live now, as well as in Rochester and Queens. I was friendly with a lot of cops in Queens due to the fact that a couple of my friends' whole families seemed to be in law enforcement, ranging from street cops to detectives. I would be invited to many a family get-together with them and learned to outgrow my teen impression of cops. Spending time with these members of law enforcement gave me the utmost respect for what they do and the risks encounter in their profession. On the other hand, I also saw and heard first hand how not only cops, but their extended families would be afforded latitude in situations where anyone else, short of a senator's son, would be ticketed, arrested, or go to jail. In fact, at the risk of sounding like a hypocrite, as a result of my association with those families, I was let out of two traffic infractions myself. I was just stating what I've seen to be true. The comment about having more faith in my common man is a tough one for me right now. I teach at a university here and on Friday one of my lab instructors had a student pull out $500 cash and tried to bribe the instructor to give him a 100% on a hands-on practical exam. This resulted in me wasting a half of an afternoon interviewing everyone involved, documenting it, meeting with university officials, etc. Of course this will just be the tip of the iceberg, as there will be disciplinary hearings, appeal hearings, etc. So you'll have to forgive me just now if I'm a little cynical. I'll start having more faith in my fellow man when they start giving me reason to do so. Until then, I'll go with the premise that there are good people and bad people but the only person I can have ultimate faith in is myself.

You sir are correct. When you have a gun and a badge, unless you get caught on camera and the footage is made public, you can pretty much get away with anything.

Remember the old bumper stickers in the 80s? "Bring professional football back to western New York" Classic

I very rarely weigh in on the potential of free agents that may or may not make their way to RWS on Sunday afternoons. I don't have time to scour the waiver wire to see whose been cut, nor do I usually feel compelled to get involved with the inevitable discussions that follow the second someone with a recognizable name hits the market. Life is too short to waste too much energy on things you can't control. However this is one of those rare occasions I feel compelled to chime in on, because of the huge impact the the signing of Bret Favre would have on western NY. If Favre somehow wound up on the Bills roster there would be a huge impact on so many levels, regardless of his play. He, and by extension the entire Buffalo Bills organization would be under intent national media scrutiny all season long. Think about it. If he came over and was successful it would be a huge story. We would be cheering in the playoffs. The Bills front office would have shown they are committed to winning and are not afraid to roll the dice. This could make the Bills a more attractive team to come to for free agents. I suspect the team in general would adopt his swagger and that is the type of thing that could carry over after he's gone. It would give Trent a year or two develop further and learn as much as he could from Favre. If all things panned out our defense would be more rested as the offense sustained drives. As a result, in theory they could be stronger late in the game. We have all seen games that we were in, lost in the fourth quarter do to the defense tiring out. It would affect the whole team in so any ways. If he did poorly the media firestorm would still be the same or worse. There would be all the questioning of the front office for wasting a year of Trent's development. There would be the requisite stories on how the move set the franchise back for years. The Bills bumbling ways of recent years would be amplified and exaggerated by the national media with the whole world would be watching. I can only imagine the discussions that would be spawned on this very board. Our salary cap could be left a wreck, we could lose talented players that we may have otherwise kept. I keep having this image of Jim Kelly driving down the field for the game tying score and being picked off by in the endzone by Terrell Buckley who ran it back for a TD. The announcer, I seem to recall it being Collinsworth, commenting on the fact that Jim tried to force a pass that he use to be able to make. I remember the look on Kelly's face and the tone of his voice during the press conference. It was when I truly saw the beginning of the end. The rest of the season he was a shadow of what he was in earlier years but he still willed the Bills to some wins. With Jim as a Struggling Hall of Famer the Bills still went 10-6 and made the playoffs. What happened the next year with Collins, Billy Joe (Lazy Bastard) Hobert, and Van Pelt was miserable. After weighing many pros and cons, including many I felt would make this already verbose post even longer, I think that if the Bills have a chance to get Favre they should do it. I'm willing to bet that he could jump start a good run for us. I also believe with a few bounces of the ball, or calls in our favor (which Favre seems to get a lot of) we could go to the Super Bowl. I don't think it would hurt Trent to learn from watching a Hall of Famer for another year or two and in the end he and the team would be in a much better situation than they were with Collins/Hobert/Van Pelt in 97. The young core could learn how to win and that could carry over for seasons to come. In my opinion, if we could get him, Favre would be a risk worth taking. my .02

Not for nothin, Jones was in Del Rio's doghouse almost all season too. The only reason he was getting game snaps towards the end of the year was injuries. During the pregame radio show the day the Bills played the Jags last year that was one of the main topics. The big knocks were poor work ethic, poor practice habits, and lack of heart. While a change of scenery can be good fro some players, I'm thinking I agree with those who think the Bills should pass if this "opportunity" comes up.

I was thinking the same thing about the 15 min. Who the F just sits and watches someone lay in the street for 15 minutes after being hit by a car. Seriously!

Yes I am and I've learned my lesson. I won't be buying tickets in advance this time. You can get tickets for way less than face value right in front of the stadium. Most of the fans were pretty cool too. Though I have to say were I only going to only go to one game in Jacksonville this year it would be the Florida vs. Georgia game. That is an absolute blast. I would recommend every football fan experience that and I'm neither a Florida nor a Georgia fan.

I was kind of thinking the same thing when kept reading up on the kid. I'll tell you what though. If he turns out like Thomas Smith, I'll be happy with the pick. Smith was a tough SOB, for a number of years, who covered the other team's best receiver, and contributed solid run support. He didn't have a lot of picks but he didn't give up a lot of completions. I remember games that the other team didn't even bother trying to go to his man. A solid if unspectacular first round pick if there ever was one. Too bad we couldn't hold onto corners of his calibre for what he cost us in his second contract.

I hope so. I'll buy one here and have the name replaced. It is the only Bills Jersey I can get in Oviedo. I know where they have a nice official one that I convinced a lady not to buy at Christmas. The sales guys was pissed but I'll bet her and her kid are happy now that my prophecy came to fruition.

Forgive me if this post turns out to be similar to some others that may have gone up recently. I have been wrapped up in the real world and have not visited the wall in some time. Still, I have been thinking about this for a while now and felt compelled to share it and see what some of the more savvy posters thought. Willis and Rosy boy made it very clear that Willis wanted a new contract. They also made it clear that said contract should be commensurate with that of one of the top backs in the league. Willis himself has made it known that he is not a fan of Buffalo and would rather be in a bigger market. Willis inflames the situation more with his Toronto comments in Penthouse, then in a stroke of luck if my theory is right, he gets popped with another paternity suit. (I digress, but imagine how many of those he could rack up in NYC) Everyone knows that Marv and Ralph covet character guys so this means Willis may get his way and get an out. The thing is, Marv is not a dumb man by any stretch. He knows he has a number of other holes to fill already and getting a starting running back is just one more big hole to open up. So here is how he responds. He lets it be known that Willis is being shopped. Lets the trade rumours fly and sees what comes up. There is marginal interest which is excatly what he was hoping for. After all, if no one is willing to give up more thant a third or fourth rounder, what does a third or fourth round running back make? To keep the value deflated, the Bills leak a story about Willis' commitment to the game and his inability to learn the playbook... With that doubt raised, and only a few potential trade suitors offering a pittance, now Willis and Drew can hardly argue his worth and renegotiate. Marv goes about his business, addresses the other holes, and lets Willis stew. In effect he turns Willis into a player who will actually have to earn the big contract by playing well. In effect he has become a "rent a player" for the 07 season. If the new line is as good as the pundits think, he will have no excuse for not having a monster year. At the end of the monster year a couple of things can happen. 1. Willis matures, realizes the opportunity he may have hear, and resigns. 2. Willis still wants out but his value is greatly enhanced, so they franchise him and trade him. The thing is if he has a monster year the odds are that the Bills are in the playoffs. Now the Bills have a better opportunity to get a good free agent to come because of the better line and the fact they have evolved into a contender. If he does not have a monster year then all bets are off. What do you think?

Joey Porter?

This per Adam Schefter on Total Access this morning. He said that with the departure of Nate, they had to do something and what they did was a great first step in rebuilding one of the big problem areas of the past few years.

I would. I think Porter's leadership and heart would be stabilizing with the loss of LFB. Oh yeah, and he can still play.

It took a moment to realize why you were pointing out that Samuels is a UCF alum then I saw where you were posting from. I was on the fence about keeping Nate beyond this year at the beginning of the season, however his play really improved and it looked like he got it together. If they can't re-sign Clements, I would love to see the Bills go after Asante for two reasons. First, Asante is a playmaker, second it would be taking away one of New England's better players. In theory, f Samuels has the type of post season you are hoping for, it would drive up the price of both players. ps. If it came down to it would rather see New England's other UCF player be MVP, just because it would be so out of left filed for it to happen.

For the record, I would rather keep F-B than start with a new linebacker to man the middle and quarterback the other backers. However if the contract he commands, due to all those categories in which he has been a team leader, makes it such that the Bills may have to tie up too much cap room in a guy on the wrong side of thirty. I am not sure they are going to shell out. I also have a sneaking suspicion he would like to go to a team that he feels has a better chance of winning a championship. If he believes he can win one here, he will take a fair contract. If not, he will likely take a little less to go to a team with a really good shot. Of course there is another option that I think would actually be out of character for London, that would be to take a bloated contract with whoever throws the most money at him.

I think some of the players really want that .500. I think other players really want to prove they can play with and beat a contender. Finally there is a group of talented guys auditioning for the big bucks in free agency. That combination certainly can lead to a win!

I bought the NFL Field Pass as well. I plug my laptop into my stereo and access the Field Pass through my wireless network. I then pause my TIVO until the local radio broadcast over the internet catches up with the video feed. I play it and then nudge the video until I get within about 3-5 frames of sync. Yes I am a nerd. My wife has already pointed that out, thank you.