TigerJ

Nobody has done it yet? You guys are falling down on the job here. OK I'm not proud. We're DOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOMED!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

So if all three QBs are even by halfway through training camp who gets the starting job? I would say Losman because he's the only one of the three that to me looks like he's got upside. As far as I'm concerned Holcomb is on the slippery slope to the retirement home (OK so I'm exagerating a little). Nall has the good arm but slow wheels. If Losman can work through the accuracy issues and gain some poise, he's got both a great arm and nifty feet.

Anything's possible. Nall does have an arm. So far in OTAs, at least from what little we've been hearing, Nall has been the leaast impressive of the three. He seems to be having the most problems picking up the new offence and the most problems with accuracy. He also has issues with mobility and athleticism. It's still early though. He could come around in training camp.

1) A likely disasterous 3-way QB rotation that will be unsettled all year. Hopefully Jauron is not so wishy washy as that and can make a decision and stick with it. 2) A miserable O-line that wasn't really addressed this offseason. I would like to have seen more done with the O-line but it's inaccurate to say it wasn't addressed. Buffalo made some gambles that may or may not pay off. 3) An unmotivated and likely disenchanted Willis McGahee Only Willis McGahee knows for certain. 3) The loss of Eric Moulds leaving the team with no proven #1 WR and a true lack of size at the position Out in Denver they run a version of the West Coast offence which requires receivers that have good size. It's true that Evans is unproven as a #1 WR. One thing Buffalo will have though is speed to burn. 4) A retread, losing head coach that features offenses that make Mike Ditka's offenses of yesteryear look innovative. First, Marv Levy was a retread losing coach when he came to Buffalo. Second, doesn't an offensive coordinator count for anything? Steve Fairchild worked with Mike Martz. Now Martz might have rocks in his head sometimes when he's calling a game, but as far as designing an offence he's a certified innovative braniac. Jauron needs only trust his coordinator and let him have some room to work. 5) A draft that consisted of very little immediate help, with two huge blunders in the first round. Ho hum. Another "expert" who attended the Mel Kiper school of draft analysis. 6) A schedule that looks tough on paper and could lead to a history making 0-16 season. He said the Bills likely will NOT be favored in any game this year! It's not going to be an easy year for Buffalo. With a change in both offensive and defensive systems, which required a significant readjustment of the defensive roster, it's going to take this ship a while to get turned in the right direction and build up some steam, but I think Marv Levy is smart enough and made enough right moves to easily avoid a winless season, and maybe even the AFC East cellar.

I've said all along that if Holcomb wins the starting QB job, it's going to be a long season. I'm not saying that JP is better, but if JP isn't then Buffalo has no starting QB. I'm optimistic that JP is continuing to learn and that he will be more accurate this season than last. I think he had maturity issues last season, that he got excited in games andas a result his short passes were erratic. I think the long passing game is his comfort zone which is why he completed those bombs to Evans.

Um, Sam Aiken is 6'2." Andre Davis is 5'1" Aiken is probably not a threat to start, though Andre Davis just might. You stated Buffalo has no WRs over 6.' Let's strive for a little more accuracy here. I sure wouldn't mind drafting a big one though.

(Round 1) Ngata--timed as fast as 4.84 in the 40, the biggest in the Top 10. I like Bunkley and Dusty Dvoracek. I'm not thrilled with Jonathan Lewis, Kyle Williams or Watson I'm not as down on Rodrique Wright and Orien Harris as some are. I'm intrigued by Barry Cofield and Kedrick Golston.

Regarding the trade, Buffalos first round pick is worth 1400 points. Denver's two first round picks are worth 1830 points for a 430 point shortfall that Buffalo would have to make up. If Moulds is valued like a high fourth round pick, his point value would be around 100. That would leave Buffalo 300 plus points short, to be made up with an additional draft choice. I think next year's draft picks are valued generally by dropping one round. That is a mid second round pick in the 2007 draft is regarded as having the same point value as a mid 3rd round pick in 2006. If that is the case, the draft pick Buffalo would have to send to Denver could be no worse than Buffalo's second round pick, and Denver probably would only consider doing the deal if they thought Buffalo was going to be among the leagues worst teams next year. Otherwise it would cost Buffalo a first in 2007. Frankly, I think that's pretty steep for what Buffalo would be getting in return. Moulds is better than a fourth round receiver would be, but he will be devalued because of age. The team that acquires him will have to assume they can only get 3 or 4 years at most out of him, while a rookie could have 10-12 years ahead of him in the league.

Dockery has been tendered by Washington. I have no idea what the terms of the offer are.

I've had it bookmarked every offseason leading up to the draft. It's no different this year.

Whitworth had a very impressive combine, and eased some of my concerns. I think I would lean toward him rather than Colledge.

Or DT rather than DL

Whatever the Bills are thinking, I'd just as soon they cut bait with Moulds and do it sooner rather than later. It's not that I'm feeling charitable toward Moulds, I just think it's best to put it in the past as quickly as possible.

I'd much rather face Miami with the talented but erratic Culpepper than the consistent Drew Brees, even if it mean's complicating the Bills first round draft strategy.

Seriously? No!

I would guess someone might be willing to negotiate with Moulds to turn say four million of his salary into signing bonus then extend him for a year to bring his cap figure down. Buffalo's problem was he already has a big signing bonus counting against the cap. For Buffalo to renegotiate without a meaningful reduction in pay only postpones the inevitable cap pain he'll cause. The question is, how eager will Green Bay be to get older and worse at WR at the same time. (Moulds was a great receiver at one time, but he's undoubtably starting to lose it as a 33 year old.)

Miami was the other place that was wooing Brees. If he's signed with NO, I'm actually pleased despite the potential for screwing up Buffalo's first round strategy. Miami QBed by me3ssed up Daunte Culpepper is less dangerous than with Brees. If QBs drop, then Buffalo may find itself a hot trading partner for teams wanting to move up and nab a top QB.

Since Miles Austin will most likely be a day two pick and said TE will be a first rounder, targeting one doesn't necessarily exclude the other.

Franchise his butt.

I'm not sold on Losman, but I think he needs to start this season because it's a now or never situation. He was drafted to be the QB of the future. He's put some time in learning how to be an NFL QB. I think there remains relatively little improvement he can have while being backup. He's got to play to get better, and the only way to know if he's got what it takes is to play. With Kelly Holcomb, what you see is what you get, an old, not very athletic QB who makes fairly quick reads and plays it safe. As one commentator said, "He never saw a dumpoff he didn't like." A QB like that will win a few games, but he's never going to help the team grow into something better. Buffalo does need to address the QB situation. Shane Matthews is probably going to retire. I don't know if one of the guys Buffalo has in NFL Europe has enough upside to be worth keeping around or not (Tory Woodbury and Craig Ochs). If not, then where does Buffalo look, the draft? (probably day two) rookie free agents after the draft? a value priced veteran? I don't think the plan will be to pay big bucks. There's risk in this approach. If Losman does not pan out, then Holcomb is not really a viable plan B in my book. The Bills will not get better as a Holcomb quarterbacked team. However, NFL teams always have to engage in a certain amount of risk taking. There's no sure thing. It's all about managing risk.

If Buffalo drafted Ngata in round one, I think the guy I'd be tempted to pair with him is Dusty Dvoracek out of Oklahoma (State?), an entirely different kind of DT. Dvoracek is more in the Tommy Harris mold versus the Ted Washington mold. Dvoracek can probably be had in round 3.

I agree it would be a real long shot that Ferguson still be on the board for Buffalo. If he is, take him. If both Ngata and Ferguson are gone, Buffalo has a real dilemma. Their choices would seem to be: Take someone not at a real need position - Huff, Hawk, Davis?, Try and trade down when the market for trading down might not be so hot, Reach for a player who fills a need.

I think an occasional call is fine, but my perception at least is that a good head coach will put in 60 to 70 hours a week, reviewing film, putting a game plan in place, leadinig practices, conferring with assistants, and a bunch of miscellaneous tasks I can only guess at, not to mention media interviews and public appearances. If on top of that the coach has to spend a couple hours a day consoling the owner, I think it could get real burdensome. I would expect if a team is losing consistently the coach should expect to catch a lot of heat from the owner, but if the team is winning, let the coach do his job.

Sorry, I looked down through the topics on the first page and didn't see those threads. I could have missed them though. In any case, it sounds most likely that the Tribune messed up big time. I think maybe, Jauron would like to hire Shoop as a QB coach/assistant head coach, but Jauron's comments make it seem as if it's far from a done deal that Shoop would pack up and leave the Oakland area.

Wrong picture. He's on the ground in the picture. All the ball has to do is have some part cross the plane. It can cross the plane while a player is in the air and count as a touchdown. Roethlisberger had his greatest forward progress while he was in the air and then was pushed back as he came down. The picture of him on the ground is worthless for determining whether it was a TD or not. When the ball is furthest forward, in the air, it is an extremely close and difficult call, way too close for the official to be able to reverse the call that was made on the field. I think it may have been the right call.