SoMAn

She has a thick Inland Northern accent heard all around the great lakes, where there are only has slight sonic variations. The Chicago accent isn't much different from the WNY accent. So, for anyone annoyed by her nasally accent with the Inland vowel shift and the hard R's, that's pretty much how y'all sound to other people outside of your native Buffalo. I laugh to myself when WNYer's say "we don't have an accent". Uh yeah...you do. It can go from full-on Cheek-a-tow-oga Polack to Sowt Buffalo Irish Slavic in 60 seconds and several versions in-between. If you can get past the accent, Glabb is actually knowledgeable. She's done her homework and is quite capable of debating and backing her statements. She comes off as very down to earth and kind of girly, which may be an annoyance if you have outdated chauvinistic tendencies. I much prefer her to the female reporters who go overboard trying to sound masculine and authoritative, like occasional CBS color voice Beth Mowens. Mowens is another one with an annoying voice to some ears, but again, she knows what she's talking about. One Bills Drive is a great alternative for us out of towners to get some Bills talk and local flavor. It's to their credit that they're able to fill so many afternoon hours of Bills and NFL talk throughout the offseason. It is funny that they only have 4 callers - Butch from the east side, Tom from Tonawanda, Ryan from Toronto, and Judy from ? As state previously, if you don't like it, turn it off.

Cook played an important role in 2024, making some great plays. But the reality is that the market for running backs just isn't what is was before rule changes and mobile QBs changed way most offenses operate. Some teams don't even have a roster spot for a fullback any more. Would hate to lose Cook, but finding an adequate, or maybe equal RB wouldn't be as difficult as replacing a top edge rusher or CB. RBs typically have a shorter shelf life. He could have 5 more years of similar production before he starts to wear down. He's under contract this year. Meanwhile, the Bills still have Davis and Gore Jr., both of whom have shown a lot of promise, and may be able to take on the role of feature back if Cook leaves for greener ($$) pastures. Bottom line, don't break the bank for a running back when there are greater needs, particularly on defense.

I was at the first Monday night game with my older brother (Bills’ first) against Chiefs in week 7 during the stadiums inaugural 1973 season. He’s gone now, but I’d like to be at first MNF in the new Highmark with my younger brother. A passing of the baton in a sense.?

Considering the lifespan of modern stadiums and the length of time it takes to get anything done in WNY, NOW is the time to start the downtown stadium study along with all necessary planning so they can have everything in place to begin construction in 2048. That might be the foresight needed to have a covered downtown stadium ready for the opening of the 2051 season. Picture that with the long-promised flying cars! 🙂

I didn't get the feeling that he was a great fit for this team. Nice guy, decent player, but I never got the sense the chemistry was there with Josh and the rest of the offense. More serious personality than the Mr. Brightside bunch that Josh seems more comfortable hanging with.

The smiley face emoji was supposed to let you know it was meant with tongue in cheek.

Ummm...that's a big 'NO' from me. With his NFL salary, endorsements, future pension, and smart investments, Josh will probably be a billionaire before his 40th birthday. He gets plenty from all of us via tickets, NFL Sunday Ticket, merchandise sales, endorsement purchases, etc. etc. Apart from the material indulgences, he also gets his bell rung by a Hollywood starlet, with an estimated net worth of $22M. He hardly needs trinkets from this group of keyboard idiots. Now, if he cares to donate something to my Roth, I'm all ears. 🙂

Realistically, we may be wise to look at the big picture. Suppose Elam turned into a pretty good CB and our round 6 pick spent most of his time inactive or on the practice square. We'd be in exactly the same position we are now and few people would be complaining about the round 6 CB not securing a starting role. We got lucky and the Bills were able to get a good starting corner, even though it wasn't the player that was taken late in round 1. You win some, you lose some. I don't know if it's our expectations or just luck, but Beane seems to have more success in mid rounds than he does in the first. Any time a GM is questioned about the process of drafting and bringing in young talent, they all have the same view; there's almost no player that is a 'sure thing', even though statistically there's a better chance of a top 10 pick being a starter. Go back and look at the first round picks over the past several years. I'll bet about a third never see a second contract with the team that drafted them.

I've stated this previously, so forgive me for being redundant... Beane was caught between a rock and a hard place when they reached for Elam. Levi Wallace was gone in FA. Tre White was coming off a serious injury and his immediate future and ability to contribute was in doubt. Then, the icing on the cake was the run on CBs in that draft before the Bills were up. I believe Beane desperately wanted McDuffie, but of course, our arch nemesis Kansas City snagged him a couple picks ahead of us. Ughhh! There weren't too many options in free agency. Beane had no other choice. There was a gaping hole in the CB position(s). He had to gamble. Elam seemed eager to learn and he had athletic ability. For whatever reason, it never worked out. I suspect he was simply unable to process the defensive schemes that rely on communication and everyone being on the same page. He was unable to be part of a bigger unit that had to work in concert. Unfortunately, I don't believe Beane learned his lesson. I hope I'm wrong, but I think he took the same 'desperation and need' approach when they took Coleman as a consolation prize after the run on WRs. Best of luck to Elam. Just glad we got something in return that can be used to find a contributing player or as trade capital when bundled with other mid round picks.

Another consideration might be the era of dynasties. First, the Pats, now the Chiefs. Even the 49ers, Steelers, or Cowboys who were dominant for multiple years didn't have dynasties that lasted as long as the Patriots and the Chiefs, who appear positioned to extend their domination for several more years. If not for Mahomes, Reid, and the Chiefs, Josh would probably have reached at least 2 super bowls by now. A play here or there can mean the difference. On the plus side, the Bills have remained competitive, even in what was thought to be 'a transition year'. Staying competitive annually increases their chances to eventually reach the super bowl. Whether or not they get there remains to be seen, but if Josh and the Bills don't get there, they won't be the first great QB/team combo to miss out.

Maybe a better comparison would be to include the most playoff wins by QBs before finally getting to the Super Bowl. I'm not going to bother doing the research, but I'm thinking Elway, Manning, maybe some others had as many playoff wins (as Josh) before finally getting to the big game.

Maybe. Then why would KC not use that pick for an economical RB that may be as good as Cook?

It is. Their big boys against ours. A reverse tug-of-war. I kind of agree that it’s not really in the spirit of traditionally accepted football skills, but fans like it, so it probably stays. Clocking the ball to swap a down for a time out isn’t in the spirit of the game, but it’s become part of time management in desperate situations. I won’t be surprised if the NFL revises or enforces the runners be aided by a group of their Offensive teammates. They’re not supposed to be pulled forward, but I’ve seen it done numerous times and haven’t seen it flagged.

I was also at both events. ‘74 opener Monday night with OJ out after early injury. The final minutes were not dissimilar to the 13 second game with several lead changes. I was also at first Bills’ Monday night game in Oct ‘73 against Chiefs. The Stones concert was Aug 8 ‘75. One of the sheets hanging from upper deck was spray painted “Mick Jagger- Starf__ker”. I didn’t know then that it was the name of a Stones song. Also saw them July 4 ‘78 at Rich.

I can't really argue too much with any of your player assessments or the grade. My only hope is that the team is able to develop a few of the questionable rookies into dependable veterans. But right now, I don't see anyone from the 2024 draft that has any more value than a journeyman 'prove-it-deal' one year signee.