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Rams over Steelers

Can't argue guys like Maybin, Mike Williams, etc. Based on their hype and draft slot, they were pretty rough. I'm surprised most have already forgotten about Cyril Richardson. He was drafted as part of Marrone's OL overhaul to switch from guys that could move around to guys that were all 6'5" or more and tipped the scales at 345 lbs. Richardson was infuriating as he started, what, like 8 games in 2014 while a much more competent guard (Kraig Urbik) was on the sidelines. Richardson was just way to slow to keep up with NFL D-linemen. You could also throw Cyrus Kouandjio in there, he came in the same class as Richardson (as did Seantrel Henderson) and never lived up to the 2nd round pick used on him. Unlike Richardson, he actually did have a couple of games where he played half-way decent and he's still in the league (backup OL in Denver) whereas Richardson... I think he was with Houston for a hot minute (don't quote me) but his career is already done.

Pretty solid analysis. It seemed like there wasn't much concern whenever they needed Dawkins to step in. He's as advertised so far, strong in the run game, very good once he gets locked on, struggles with speed and finesse, which are things a lot of OL struggle with (see: Mills, Jordan). Kid definitely seems to have his head on straight and appears to be a "process" player.

Fair question. Turns out the Pats haven't worn the white helmets in a while due to the rule change in 2013. Here's an article from March 2017 about throwbacks and whatnot. Apparently the Eagles proposed a rule change to allow different colored helmets during the season. I'm not sure what came of that proposal but I assume it got shot down since we haven't seen any teams don their throwbacks with a different colored helmet.

In addition to a high work ethic, seems clear McBeane want players who are selfless, team-first guys who prioritize winning above personal achievements.

I kinda dig the Phins throwbacks and think they should revert back to those. The color tones on the throwbacks are better than the lighter tones on their current uniforms. Chargers throwbacks are always sweet. Pats all red throwbacks aren't bad. Same for the Falcons. Would definitely like to see Buffalo put together 90s era throwbacks but the NFL has that (*^*&%^$^#rule that doesn't allow teams to use more than one helmet per season.

Solid point, sir.

Aside from Shady, the ages of some of the guys in the RB group aren't really a big deal considering they've mostly been second or third string guys without a lot of mileage on them. Like, Cadet for instance, been in the league since 2012 but has 49 career carries. But I don't disagree that Darkwa wouldn't be a bad pickup, added competition is usually always good.

Good read. It'd be cool to see what other players he had trade talks about with other teams.

I presume his role will involve carrying the football when it is handed to him or thrown to him. I kid. I kinda always felt Ivory was a bit underrated. He should be an ideal compliment to Shady. Defenses should get tired from chasing down 25 and when he needs a breather, let Ivory run over some guys. A lot is made of his YPC during his run in Jacksonville, but their other back, TJ Yeldon, a 2nd round pick, averaged 3.6 yards in 2016. Keep in mind, these guys were working in the prolific, bleeding edge, otherworldly offensive schemes built by Doug Marrone and Nate Hackett. Marrone lives for that "three yards and a cloud of dust" BS and he's a stubborn turd dumpling who would rather "impose his will" than adjust and adapt to the changes of the game. When he left Buffalo, several OL said the guy would never adjust or deviate away from his inside zone. Plus, he wanted behemoths at every position on the OL. Kouandjio and Henderson were both drafted for their size, as was Cyril Richardson (who was abysmal in his rookie year yet Marrone waited eight weeks before finally replacing him with Kraig Urbik who is by no means an all-star but he certainly was better than Richardson). So he has these monster OLs and prefers big, bruising backs, doesn't adjust his blocking schemes, loves "old school" football so that's exactly what you're gonna get when combining those things. Big backs behind big OL averaging three and a half yards a carry. While Daboll is unproven in the NFL, I believe he has the proper mindset for today's NFL. He will identify what his guys do well and scheme around that. That alone should make some difference. And although Ivory is 30, he doesn't have a lot of mileage on him. Career average of just under 12 carries a game, consistently a secondary option aside from 2015 which was the only season in which he was "the guy" he went over 1000 yards, scored 7 rushing TDs and averaged 4.3 YPC, not too shabby. Obviously Shady is the focal point but Ivory and Cadet combine for a pretty diverse group. It's up to Daboll to figure out how best to utilize them.

Yes, he will make it and will play an important role. And there's no way Beane would simply cut the kid. Not when he knows there would be a number of teams interested in a young DE who maybe just didn't land in the right situation. But it seems clear that Shaq has gotten the message. I sense that he was the type of player who felt like he would be able to coast on his athleticism without putting in the extra effort needed in the NFL. Clearly, that mindset doesn't fly McDermott. I think the kid will turn the corner and show us something this season.

The website is whatever. As someone pointed out, it does seem like there have been fewer articles and such as of late. I'll check out interviews and press conference videos from time to time but that's about it. Their mobile app needs work. There's a 50/50 chance it crashes each time I try to open it. The features are extremely limited and you'd think they would have the store built into the app but when you click the link to check out the store it takes you to the desktop version of the store's website.

I've heard Shady mentioned more than a few times by media guys as one of the more interesting players to talk to. He's not one to give the typical stock answers. He generally has pretty good stuff to say. Based on the quotes I read posted here, seems he's keeping a close eye on the QB competition.

A lot of first round contracts get done during the time off after minicamps and before training camp, sometimes a couple weeks into camp. It used to be teams would wait it out to see what kinds of deals players that were drafted within 2-3 picks of their guy were getting before working out a contract just to see how the money works out. But now with the wage scale, the parameters are already set... but what I'm not sure on is the guaranteed money. Is that something that can still fluctuate depending on where a player was drafted? Or is the guaranteed amount already set as well?

It's shaping up to be a more interesting QB competition than most realize because... A) It's obvious that McDermott is a fan of Peterman, so he'll be interested to see how he's improved and I'm sure he'll give him plenty of reps with the 1's and have him start one or two pre-season games. B) Even though they weren't there at the same time, McCarron has a connection with Daboll and it's been said that McCarron has been able to help teammates understand some of the concepts Daboll will use as some of them are the same/similar to things McCarron did at Alabama. C) The front office and ownership are likely gonna wanna see what Allen can do sooner rather than later. Even if he doesn't win the starting job coming out of pre-season, whoever starts will need to string together some impressive performances because once they start to falter, the calls for Allen to take over will start. In an ideal situation, Allen goes out there and wins the starting job convincingly.

Yeah, like others have said, you just have to hope you pick an area to spectate from where players will come by after practice and sign stuff. Depends on which field they use as well, there are two practice fields at Fisher, one is artificial turf and the other is grass. Keep an eye on the Bills website for the training camp events schedule. They have an autograph tent set up for the kids and a handful of players are scheduled daily to do an autograph session for an hour or two. It's probably a certainty that Allen will be scheduled for the tent at some point since all the rookies have plenty of appearance obligations to meet in their rookie year. Other than that, just try to find out which way guys are headed after practice and see if you can catch them. Few years back I bought a Clemson mini helmet because I wanted Watkins to sign it. Took it with me two years in a row and just missed him both times. On the upside, I have a friend who gets VIP access for camp and that year (2014) they had the "Cold Front" DL and I ended up with a mini helmet signed by Hughes, Mario, Kyle and Dareus, as well as a bunch of other defensive players. Apparently it was their day to sign stuff along the VIP fence after practice. Aaron Williams stayed out there for over an hour, great kid, signed any and everything that came his way. And when Tyrod was there he was often one of the last players to head inside after a practice as he spent plenty of time signing stuff and giving selfies with people. Also... and I know how most on this board feel about EJ but holy crap in a bucket, the dude is GIANT. I'm 6'1" and felt like I may as well have been 3'7" or whatever. Monster of an athlete. Same thing with Mario Williams. Kyle on the other hand, same height as me and aside from being built like a tank, you wonder just how friggin' strong he is to be able to win his fair share of one-on-one's against OL who are 6'6" and 340 lbs. Leverage, technique and fundamentals, Kyle Williams is an expert at these. Plus he puts in 100% every practice. Model player. Easy to see why McDermott has personally confided in him regarding the direction of the team and why he leans on him heavily as a team leader.

Hmm... fair question. I'm not sure. I'm assuming they wrote the rule in a way that basically says no major alterations can be made to the helmet. Teams used to be able to wear throwback uniforms with a different colored helmet but now with the emphasis on head injuries, CTE, etc. the league has a real thorough checklist for equipment managers to maintain. They must feel that using a different colored helmet (even though the alternate helmet would be the exact same model and size that the player already wears, plus they can take the same facemask and put it on the alternate) could strengthen the opportunity for a head injury. "Oh, Player A wore a throwback helmet in week ten, there was a slight chinstrap alteration which caused his concussion, therefore we, the league, are not liable because we told teams at the beginning of the season that they have to use the same helmet for the entire season!" Or some whacky sh!t like that.

Such a bummer to not be able to walk away on your own terms, but at the same time, very fortunate for him that the severity of his injury was discovered before it became way worse. Wood's been one of my favorite Bills since he came in back in '09. Easy to see why teammates gave him the C. When he was a rookie, my cousin worked in the PR department with the Bills. Every year, the rookies are contractually obligated to participate in a number of public events (Play 60, signings, giveaways, etc. etc.) and my cousin said every time Wood had to attend one of these PR things, he was always the last guy to leave, making sure he greeted as many people as possible. And then afterwards, he would take the PR employees out to dinner on him. I'm glad he was part of the drought ending and if he wants to remain close to football, maybe the Bills will find a spot for him. Aside from that, I think he'd probably do well in broadcasting.

I've thought for a while that it'd be great to see them use the 90's uniforms for throwbacks but the NFL has their dumb helmet rules so we probably won't see that happen unless that rule changes. (For those unaware - the NFL dictates that players/teams must use the same helmet all season long, meaning they can't use a different colored helmet. Sure, they could paint the helmets but that's a pretty big undertaking when they're gonna be used in only one game.)

Great writer. Who's left at TBN now, Skurski? I wouldn't be surprised that the only reason Skurski hasn't moved on is because his wife has the morning anchor gig over on Channel 2. Tim was another writer I reached out to when I was gathering info/feedback about starting a Bills-related blog. He responded and said he'd be more than happy to share some advice. I never got back to him because I bailed on the blog idea, but it was nice of him to take a minute to reply to me. And I've heard a lot of great things about the classes he taught. Talented guy. His Twitter behavior is almost all tongue-in-cheek. It was a little irritating at times as he seemed to engage with the trolls and lame-asses more than talking with any fans who had good questions/points. But whatever. I'm sure he'll land somewhere decent. I know guys like Sully and Bucky are more old-school so I wouldn't be surprised if they found another paper to write for. Tim, though, I think he probably follows after Tyler Dunne and ends up with an online outlet. That's just the way things are going. Whoever TBN has in the pipeline to replace these guys are gonna get eaten alive by some of these fans lol.

If you're unaware what a Funko Pop figure is, check out Funko.com to learn more, if you want. If not, here's a short explanation: Pop figures are vinyl collectibles that have been quite popular over the last few years. The company has a license for almost everything so there's something for everyone. For a few years now they have been releasing a yearly series of NFL players. Year after year the usual suspects would be released, Brady, Gronk, Lynch, Rodgers, etc. They made a Pop for Shady while he was in Philly but even though some players have 6 or 8 different figures, the Bills have had exactly zero players made into a Pop figure. Until now! In addition to their regular series of current players as well as their Legends series, this year they will release a Draft Picks series. Josh Allen will be part of this set. Just a fun thing to share for any other Pop collectors or for people who dig collecting Bills stuff. I really think Funko is missing an opportunity to make even more money. If they made a couple players from every team and sold them on the official team shops, they'd clean up. With the Legends series I hope at some point they'll make players like Jimbo, Thurman and Bruce. Either way, it's nice that they finally showed Buffalo some love. I think the NFL Pops usually come out in late summer a few weeks before the season. Just thought it'd be fun to share. Here's an image of a data sheet listing the players for the NFL Pops for 2018:

I learned years ago never to discount the Pats as long as #12 and the Hoodie are still there. There have been seasons where we've looked at their talent on both sides of the ball and said, "Yep, this is the year they finally fizzle out," but they always find a way. Even if Brady and Belechick aren't on the best terms, they still have the same goal and the same insane competitive fire to win, so that's probably what they're gonna do. And to the argument that Brady wouldn't be Brady on any other team... eh, he's a phenomenal player but one reason I've felt he's had such sustained success is how the Pats play offense. They don't subscribe to one certain style, they adjust it weekly depending on who they're facing. Put Brady on a team that sticks to a specific offensive style as opposed to adjusting it week by week, then maybe he doesn't have the career he's had. But he's great, always been great, probably won't see anyone come close to his level in this lifetime.

Most guys keep up with the exercise and eating plan they get from the team trainers, but yes, I'll concede that some players get injured because of their lack of preparation. But, generally, since they changed the number of padded practices that can happen during OTAs, minicamps and training camps, coaches have lamented that because they feel the amount of padded practices isn't adequate to prepare their players for live action.

1. They will win some games. 2. They will lose some games. 3. This board will absolutely implode with "I told you all!/They screwed up again!/Not a franchise guy!/This organization is doomed!/Fire McBeane!/They failed again at picking a QB!" the millisecond Josh Allen has a negative play. I can see it now... Play by Play guy: "And now here's Josh Allen entering the game... and... he sneezed!" Some people on this board: "RRRRRRREEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!" Can't wait!! But if I'm taking the topic seriously, I'll say... AJ McCarron wins the job out of the gate but Allen will end up the starter sometime before the bye. Second, Tremaine Edmunds wins Defensive Rookie of the Year, heck with it, I'mma shoot for the stars on that one. With McDermott's coaching and Edmunds' incredible athleticism and ever-expanding skill-set, why not, right? If it ain't him, it'll probably be Chubb... actually, unless Chubb gets injured, it's him for DROY. I know I just contradicted myself but I just now remembered that teams have to deal with Von Miller when facing Denver which should open up all kinds of opportunities for Chubb... and dang, how stacked are the edges in the AFC West? Broncos have Miller/Chubb, Chargers have Bosa/Ingram, Raiders have Mack and they drafted Arden Key who can be really good if they can reach him the right way, then the Chiefs have Houston/Ford. Pretty solid. I'm way off track, maybe that's a topic on it's own. Last prediction for the Bills 208 season, ummm.... the defense will finish top 10 in most categories.

This definitely has the possibility of being a media sh*tstorm but that's TO.... I'm in the crowd that agrees he should've been first ballot, the stats are there and when it comes to HoF voting, they emphasize personal achievements above all else. They consider playoffs/championships, but at the end of the day, it's about the singular player. A while back, Peter King wrote on why TO wasn't being voted in... and then proceeded to completely contradict himself by saying Darren Sharper had a HoF career and should be considered for the Hall, and this was at the height of Sharper's hideous legal issues. King's point was that the voting is based on on the field efforts, not how the player was in the locker room or how the player interacted with the media. "On the field efforts" was his defense for saying Sharper was Hall-worthy. But then, those same voters turn around and keep TO out for several years with their justification being his off the field BS... so which is it? They can't have it both ways, and in TO's case, that's what they tried to do, sit there and say, "The stats are there, BUT... remember when he did that one thing?" So if this is TO trying to stick it to them, then by all means, go for it.