Mickey

I think we all understand that this is preseason and its only one game. It doesn't automatically mean a lousy season. But the inescapable truth is that to the limited extent that game was a window on the regular season, there is plenty to worry about. Getting schooled in preseason is abviously better than in the regular season but better still is not getting schooled at all. Certainly, getting schooled now is no guarantee they won't get whupped just as bad later so I don't see how on earth anyone can consider last night's miserable performance a good thing. They sucked last night, face it, deal with it. And Bell at LT would be a disaster. The best way for him to learn is in practice and in the preseason, not in a game where we would like our QB to make it to half time. You are right, Levitre isn't ready but putting another guy who is also not ready won't remedy that problem, just make it worse because you can hide a crappy guard easier than you can a crappy LT.

I'm thinking that they cancel the last two out of pity

My predictions of a 4-10 season appear to be overly optimistic.

Paup played on the outside in a 3-4 and Poz is in the middle of a 4-3. Paup had 7.5 sacks in only his second year playing only on passing downs. Poz has zero sacks in 19 starts. They are two completely different kind of players.

Actually, back when this franchise was actually a contender, we had one coach put another's head into a wall so that kind of thing is not necessarily related to franchise quality. If it meant winning more games, I wouldn't care if Jauron and Turk got into a knife fight.

Fixed

The obsession continues.....

Okay, now that was funny.

Given the performance of our current DE's, he won't have to do much to earn some playing time.

How ever will they get through the day knowing you don't like them? They will just have to console themselves with all their money, future financial security and the achievement of their life's dream, playing in the NFL.

Those of us who never did don't have to answer that question and are free to cheer him on without having to worry that someone will notice our hypocrisy.

Are you kidding? This qualifies as nearly brilliant compared to most of the "analysis" around here.

Won't work. There is a reason these unproven rookies get the money they get, often more than what proven veterans get. Those proven veterans are tied to existing contracts and even when they are up, they can be franchised and forced to remain with their existing teams. By restricting their freedom to enter the market place, the league is able to exercise some control over their compensation. The rookies are not under contract with anyone. Nothing in the world stops them from signing with another league, the start up of which you would surely invite by that strategy. Further, the rookies know that once they sign on the dotted line, they are tied down in the market by the same rules that operate to restrict the economic freedom of the veterans. In exchange for giving away the ability to market themselves for what the market is willing to pay, they are going to want something for it, mainly $$. Ultimately, the player and the owners have to agree on a way to handle these issues becuasue neither side has the power to force the other to do as they command. Whenever either has tried, they both lost. There has been a lot of talk about a rookie cap so that more revenue is funneled to veterans, so called "proven players". It may happen or something similar addressing the same problem but it will be done by consent, not by one team trying to change the world by thinking they can call all the shots with rookies and eff 'em if they don't like it. Neither the team nor the player holds all the cards.

That would be a low-class move that would pretty much scratch Buffalo off the list of teams any top picks or top tier FA's would ever want to play for. And when Maybin's contract was up as eventually it will, it would be a cold day in hell before he re-ups with the Bills. It would also be an invitation for every agent in the league to make public every bit of dirty laundry about every contentious player negotiation with the Bills over the last few years. All to get a guy signed who is eventually going to sign anyway? Getting the fans all riled up so that they despise a player you are planning on signing is maybe not the best ticket selling strategy I have ever heard. Fans would be less inclined to buy tickets to see players they hate regardless of what uniform they wear. Player popularity = ticket sales. It is why the players get the big bucks, they put fannies in the seats. There is a reason why this is never done. The people who do it for a living on both sides of the negotiations know what they are doing. If Maybin ends up being a good player, he will have all the fans here he needs and if not here, there will be plenty of fans ready to cheer him on as he rolls up the sacks for some other team. I have no doubt that the Bills and Maybin are trying to get this resolved and its just possible that the reason they haven't is because its a very hard deal to work out given the Crabtree situation. I don't know why the knee-jerk reactions of the fans around here is, without fail, that the player is a greedy, moronic jerk and the team is a kindly, generous, warm hearted family that just wants to do the right thing. Both sides are tending to their financial interests and trying to get the best deal they can. A first round pick missing practices because his deal wan't negotiated in time is the rule, not the exception. This isn't even a hold-out, technically. Maybin hasn't broken any contracts and until he has one, he is under no obligation to be at practice.

I would change that to read "Two years ago he got there more than anyone else....." I hope he can regain his form but I am not at all confident he will.

That is only because I had never read any of his posts before, and for that, I count myself lucky. When did he start fishing here??

Exactly. I think the problem is frustrated fans staring down the barrel of a season of uncertainty. They are overloaded with anxiety. It is somehow calming to find a someone or something to rail against.

I think that there could be quite a few surprises when the cuts are announced. We have quite a few people who are mediocre starters that could easily be unseated by younger, hungrier players. Kelsay and Denney have to be on that list, if not this year, definitely next year.

I certainly don't spend much time reading that guys posts, this was actually my first but I bow to your superior experience with the guy/girl/crank/loon or whoever it is and take your word for his being the second coming of ICE. I will just have to find other opportunities to use my favorite reference, "Mrs. Cravitz".

Yeah, because negotiating publicly always works. Why get a deal done behind closed doors when you can drag the fans and the press into it all so that everyone will either hate the front office or hate Maybin? Why not blast Maybin publicly thereby making damn sure he leaves the team for a friendlier, classier operation when that first contract expires? There is a reason teams do not do this, ever. Either the people who actually do this for a living know better or some reactionary, anonymous moron who calls himself a crayon eater knows better. Hmmm...which side to choose?

It is not lack of faith but an overabundance of creepiness which concerns me. From where exactly, I am afraid to ask, do these tingles originate? I am thinking of buying some UPS stock, do a bro a solid and take a look at that and let me know if you get a tingle.

"Clearly" my ass. We have no idea what offers have been made and rejected nor what counteroffers have been made and rejected. I know it is frustrating but imagining what positions the parties have taken and then attacking them for what you imagine they are doing makes little sense. For once, the team and the player are keeping it all behind closed doors which is the way it ought to be done. I am impressed that there hasn't been a leak to the press, Tim G. had a source he recently reported clammed up on him. Sucks for us and for Tim but I think its the best way for both sides to handle this situation.

It takes two not to tango

I hope you are right but I have to say, I find your reliance on tingly feelings more than a little creepy.

Is it really all that hard to accept that the team that is paying Schobel and Kelsay millions to not sack the QB might possibly not have a clue when it comes to contract negotiations?