Dan

...tonight ...it's now Colimbus, OH.

...tonight is Pittsburgh, PA.

tonight its Little Rock

With all due respect, no one here knows who you are... so how do they know you're not a liar? Point being; you and everyone else is fairly anonymous on an internet message board, if you're going to get insulted every time someone doubts you or has a little fun at your expense, you're probably in the wrong place. Two sentiments perhaps best sum up the last several pages... (1) Lighten up Francis, and (2) Its hard to post on the interwebs.

Seems to me, most people are not discussing the most important quality of a back up QB. Its not stats, arm strength, win/loss record, leadership, etc. To be a successfull #2 QB, you need to be a student of the game. You want to have someone that prepares mentally every week to start, knows the playbook inside and out, gets along with all the players, and most importantly knows he's the backup. If you're looking for a back up that's a proven winner, wants one more shot to prove he can be the guy and can lead your team through half the season or more, then you're looking for a starter, IMO. Regarding VY, who really thinks he would ever put in the time to study and learn the offense if he knew he wasn't going to start. Shades of Billy Joe come to my mind.

I would have to put WR at the top of the list. We addressed every hole on the team this off season... even kicker! However, the type of WR we needed just wasn't really available. So we went the other way, IMO, fast burner as opposed to big and able to out jump DBs. However, all of these addtions have yet to prove themselves on the field. So, obviously, there's still a fair number of question marks for the more cautious fans. Heck even the DLine, which should be stellar, still has to come together and gel on the field to be as good as they look on paper. My biggest concern, period, is the injury bug. If we can finally make it through the season without half the team on IR, then we have everything in place to be a playoff contending team. But, it seems like forever that we haven't been in the top five in terms of IR'd players. Just imagine last year if Jackson, Wood, Bell, 2or3 of the WRs, Chandler, Kyle, Merriman, and McGee all finished the season. This year we get all those players back, plus the addtions. If they all stay healthy, there's no reason to not see dramatic improvement in this team.

Convert him to LB!!

If JW doesn't pick up what I considered fairly obvious sarcasm, he's not half the poster I thunk. So, no worries.

Care to reveal your sources on this?? Otherwise, I'm calling it BS, sloopy reporting!

I would suggest that your problem is ...expecting more starters from the draft. We got a couple solid defensive line starters in FA. Outside of the first round (which I think we got a starter there), and maybe 2nd, you should only expect day 1 starters if your current roster blows. I would contend that our roster going into the draft, did not completely blow. And finally, who would you have liked seen drafted that would be these multiple day 1 starters?

The Bills defense has been horrendous for years! We've been unable to do anything with any consistency - stop 3rd and long, force turnovers, pressure the QB, stop the run. You name it. Quite honestly, slant patterns and pass caching TEs have been instant 1st down conversions for opposing offenses for so long, I've just given up thinking they could EVER be stopped. I truly hope this defense comes together. At this point, I'd settle for adequate.

Didn't Painter come in after Collins was lost for the season?

That's exactly how I see it! We have pretty well addressed every area of need in this off season (although, WR a little less so). But, if these picks pan out to be starters (in some cases) and decent depth (in others), this team going forward is completely rebuilt in 3 years. Obviously, it depends upon how these guys play, so I'm not calling it job complete. But what I like is Buddy is addressing the areas of need and doing it in a way that should work. In some respects, I would argue that that's all the GM can do. Now its up to the players and coaches to do their jobs. I am absolutely loving this draft and off season as a whole.

Maybe I'm clueless... but I don't recall Jones ever looking like a legit #2. Its because of his drops, poor effort and injuries that we need a WR so badly now. Of all the WRs currently on the roster, he's the first one I'd like to see cut.

Exactly. It always amazes me how people look at a draft and immediately draw direct conclusions of success. These guys are all rookies and it generally takes several years before any player can contribute consistently. The idea that you can re-make your offense in one off season with rookies is jsut ignoring the obvious. Quite honestly, if I were a Colts fan, my biggest worry would be who's going to block for Luck? He's going to struggle enough as it is being a rookie. Do you really want him running for his life on every down as well?

... you don't kick a sleepin dog.

IMO, TJ was a good pick. We need a deep WR threat. That's what we got (hopefully). For me the only puzzling thing was why they traded up to get a player that pretty much everyone had going several rounds later. But, in the end, we just gave up a 7th rounder. So I'm not concerned; just curious more than anything. What's the rules for names on a jersey? This kid should just put his first name on the jersey, if the league lets him. It'd be an instant top seller.

.. dead bears don't growl.

That's the only rationale I can see for trading up to pick him. They wanted Posey, made a trade, but he was taken one pick before. So they just went with the next WR on the list. ??? I'm not saying whether he'll be good or bad, but it does beg the question... why make a trade to move up a couple spots just to take a player that the general consensus is he would certainly still have been on the board? (especially for a GM that has repeatedly said he values every draft pick and dislikes moving up)

I began working for the NYC Dept. of Health just a few months prior. On the12th, I had volunteered to help man the City's missing persons hotline. By that night, I was asked to be the Health Department's representative at the on site Incident Command Center. As things happen, one thing leads to another and for the next several months, I was on site helping coordinate all of the City's Health and Safety operations for the rescue and recovery workers. I did many things there that I'm proud of and worked with some of the best people I've known. It was a hell of a deal all the way around.

A couple things kinda stand out, when I think about it. Academically: Survived the academic system long enough to obtain my Doctorate In Biological Sciences. I'm the only member of my immediate or extended family to earn a PhD.-- I'd like to think I could do it again, but I just don't know if I have the energy any more. Professionally: I was on the pile on 9/12 through the end of that December doing all sort and manner of things.-- I hope to never do something like that again, and hope no one else ever does either. Personally: I accomplished my childhood goal of saving up, buying a car and seeing what was beyond that curve in the road just outside the small town I grew up in. -- Still doing that to this day.

You're forgetting it takes 2people to sign a contract. Nix apparently did make an offer to Bell. But, he can't force him to sign. It would seem, because Bell is now an Eagle at roughly $7mill/yr, that Nix didn't feel he was worth that much money and most ctainly offered him less. So you're advocating that we sign players regardless of what we perceive their value to be? I agree wih you, it does suck that we lost, what appeared to be, a decent LT. But given his injury history, it seems the FO decided the price tag was too high. And, quite honestly, I'm not sure they're wrong. I suppose only time will tell. But, its a gamble either way. Signing Bell would not have guaranteed that LT was no longer a "need", just as using Hairston/draft pick is no guarantee. In the end, we just have to hope the FO has a better handle on Bell's health/ability than we fans do.

So you're suggesting we could have tagged Bell. He would have signed the offer. And then we could have traded him to the Eagles for a mid-round pick, and Bell gets the same contract from the Eagles... now taking a pay decrease for 2012. ?? If you can swing that deal, you most certainly need to be an NFL GM. Because that would be quite a feat!

Spoken like someone playing Madden or something. The franchise tag for a left tackle is around $9.5mill. Are you prepared to pay that for Bell? You just asssume we could tag him and trade him and get picks in return. But, that's not guaranteed at all. Does Philly still go after Bell if they have to give up a 1st round pick for him? I doubt it.

A big part of what made football such a good sport is the immediacy of the game and the importance of every drive. You had one day, each week and only a few weeks (when you think about it) to watch. You get 4 downs, move forward or give up your possesion. Make it to the playoffs, you get one game - win or go home. Overtime, any one play could end then game. All these new rules are just watering down the sport, if you ask me.