RocCityRoller

And Giants, twice...... oops Rusty Hard On??? 🤣 🤣🤣

Happy for Miss Pegula. Ranked #11 aint so bad!

Evander Kane shoots and scores! Edit: and now 1:1

Difference of opinion here, and I understand it. I don't like either situation TBH. I might ditch both and bring in Mayfield. If I am the Cardinals or Ravens why not? I think Mayfield has been humbled publicly and dealt with it petty well. Mayfield has a better chance of being a 'Brees light' who was scorned by his drafted team and then went on to be very good QB IMO than Jackson or Murray. This will motivate him, like college. If I am a team with an unsettled QB situation Mayfield is an easy 2nd round pick and pay the $18M. That is mid level QB pay today, and Mayfield is that. But if the question is Jackson vs Murray as of today, right now, who do I commit to for 4 yrs? Murray. I can drop Murray into any passing offensive scheme and Murray will get it and produce. He isn't top 10 in passing, but neither is Jackson. I think I can get Murray to understand an E-P or Coryell scheme better than Jackson. I have to modify my offense less for Murry than Jackson. Murray's game lasts longer than Jackson IMO. Jackson is like Mike Vick. You have to change the offense to make it work. When he is 'on' it is special, really special. But the situation has to be right. Baltimore is about 5-10 yrs behind the modern offense. It will take 2-3 yrs to recover without Jackson. That is why they need Jackson to commit to them. With Murray I can drop him into any basic NFL offense, and go forward year one, even if he is a douche bag. I don't like Murray at all. But this isn't a popularity contest. Murray is a better passer than Jackson, that is what I need my QB to do.

Better than going full Benjamin who would not catch balls from Allen before a game! 🤣 Now he's catching deals at the local buffet. PS - it wasn't at Giants training camp.

Interesting question here.... If I had to choose between these QBs today. Lamar Jackson vs Kyler Murray.... Both are goofy on how they are handling their next contract. Jackson - representing himself and not even talking Murray - a year early, coming off a terrible playoff showing, going public I would take Murray by the smallest of margins. He does have a nice pass, and I think he is a bit more football smart (complicated passing schemes). Jackson has taken some hits and abuse, and one wonders if Jackson today will equal prior years. I can drop Murray into most standard passing offenses, Jackson maybe not. Jackson seems the better leader though... that counts at QB. Murray has some growing up to do. Oof. Happy to have Josh Allen.

I'll counter by saying the scouts and GM did their job and identified NFL talent in many rounds. That is the point of the draft. Teller and Phillips aren't on the team but both are very solid NFL players. Buffalo goofed on Teller. I still have dreams of Dawkins, Bates, Humphrey, Teller, Brown..... Now that would be a top 5 OL (teasing the other thread) At worst Phillips is a good rotational DT, and has flashed as a starter. When a team is good and has to pay good players, they lose some. Look at the Pats. For 20 years they would let a guy go a year early and always seemed to back fill through another good draft or mid level FA signings. Unless it is at WR! 🤣

Pour one out!

Kaiir Elam: someone wanted a notebook!?

Yes it is. EDIT let me clarify. ABC had bought ESPN a while back. ABC sold 20% of ESPN ownership to NABISCO (?!) Nabisco realized that was not a good portfolio fit and sold their 20% share to Hearst Communications. Disney bought ABC and all of it's diversified holdings, which included 80% of ESPN. So: Disney 80% Hearst 20% Disney bought a 50% holding of BAM Tech a European streaming developer. BAM Tech helped Disney create ESPN+, so I think ESPN+ is 100% owned by Disney. Confused yet?

Hey WEO I went through their quarterlies and saw that they do count each subscription in a bundle. So if someone gets the Hulu Live TV and VOD service they also automatically get Disney + and ESPN+ in the bundle. Disney reports +1 subscriber for each service included in the bundle. With the growth of Disney + and Hulu in it's many forms I do think ESPN+ is getting a pretty significant lift. Disney also noted that they increased revenues by increasing the price of all of their streaming services except ESPN+. To me it points it is their weakest link. Disney gets $8 per month/ per cable subscriber and gets between $4 - $5 per month/per ESPN+ subscriber. So they need 2:1 streamer for each cable cutter. That said your numbers were verified overall. Disney's quarterlies did not break down subscriptions separately. I do think there is some halo effect, and the loss of viewership on cable for whatever reason (cable cutting and bad programming) is affecting ESPN's revenue, but they are working on capturing it through their streaming service. The OP is overstated from what I can tell.

So I went to the sign up page. You can sign up for ESPN+ by itself, or get it in a bundle with HULU and Disney+. Mr.WEO - I'm aware Disney+ is doing well with new subscribers. I am wondering if the ESPN+ subscription increase was due to bundle subscriptions or stand alone subscriptions? It is possible people want Disney and Hulu and could care less about ESPN+ but get it as part of a better package for the other two subscriptions, especially since Hulu is now streaming sports. It isn't clear if the 17.1 to 21.3 you have repeated is stand alone ESPN subscriptions or include a halo effet from being bundled with other stronger products like Disney+ and Hulu. That was the crux of my question.

Good info. I appreciate some actual facts. Silly question. Since Disney owns ESPN (or at least a controlling stake) is it offering ESPN+ as part of a Disney streaming deal? How much of the growth is ESPN+ subscribers, vs a 'Disney Bundle' or Disney throwing ESPN+ in for free?? I'm not a fan of Disney stuff (No not even Star Wars) so I don't know too much about their subscription services and what gets bundled or not.

25..... wayyy too young

I still think Bills fans are overlooking the Crowder signing. There were a lot of alpha WRs moved (Adams/ Brown etc) but Crowder was a sneaky good pick up, like KC getting Smith-Shuster. Crowder should be close to a zero sum difference. Josh and Crowder just need to develop that connection. I did a comparison a month or so back and Crowder's numbers are very close to what Beasley had before becoming a Buffalo Bill. Davis outside should be right around the #2 WR production we have had from Sanders and Brown as WR#2. Maybe better, he is younger than Brown or Sanders by a wide margin. I don;t know if Sanders got dinged up last year or just ran out of gas, but his production slipped in the second half of the season.

That and what other weapons are around? That can help and hurt. GB had Adams and a bunch of marginal WRs and some good RBs. Adams might have had to work harder to get open, but he was fed the ball. With the Raiders it should be easier, but the Raiders have a lot of mouths to feed.

Hey Turk, He wouldn't have been able to drive or walk 'in a K-hole'. A K-hole is the term used for a really strong peak of a Ketamine high when the body and mind are really detached and you can't interact with anything around you much less move. K doesn't last as long as other psychedelics. Start to finish is usually about an hour give or take. The high was probably long gone, but it wasn't metabolized out of his system which is how it was detected by toxicology.

I agree he has a little room to fill out. Hence my Ekeler comparison Ekeler is listed either 5'9" or 5'10 - 200 Cook is listed as 5'11 -190 If cooks adds 5-10 pounds then he is basically Ekeler's size with a similar skill set, and I could see Buffalo using him in a similar way. Just a guess.

Same. Not to mean he won't be effective running the ball, the guy did average 6.2 YPC. I see him as an Austin Ekeler type. Ekeler is a bit thicker (there is that word again), but not quite the hands Cook has. I don't think either are Kamara or McCaffrey. Another good comparison might be Michael Carter (RB) on the Jets. Not an every down running back, but a very good dual purpose weapon. I could see Cook getting @100 carries for about 500 rushing, and @50 catches for about 500. 900-1k from scrimmage and 5-8 TDs. Buffalo will have to show a willingness to run him out of the backfield to keep defenses honest, but keep an eye on his carry count. If things go well, you could put him out there in a package with Lil Dirty. With the normal weapons and Josh's ability to run, that will be a mess to try to anticipate.

Forgot about Joe Giles-Harris (LB #42). He had a really good pre-season last year. All over the field and camp making plays. Giles-Harris and Nick McCoud (CB) stood out to me the most in camp last year. Will be keeping an eye on both. Good to see Rousseau and Von Miller talking technique already. Basham looks more fit too. For his limited snaps last year, Basham was very efficient. If his conditioning is better he should see many more snaps with Addison and Hughes gone.

Thank you. A bunch of Steelers meet in south Florida to practice for a week. At the end of the final practice/ last night in town Haskins heads out for a night at a club/s to celebrate and unwind. Could have been Miami Beach, Fort Lauderdale, West Palm Beach etc. Being just off of I-95 makes any of those places possible. Plenty of places are open all night in south Florida, it is a globally known party spot. it could have been a strip club/ night club/ after hours venue. I've been to a strip club that was open till 5am in WPB, and have been to an afterhours club in South Beach that was open till 8am. Either type of place could fit the timeline. While at the club he got to partying a little too hard. Famous young guys with some money attract attention at those places. He got a pretty good drink on and had some party favors. A 0.2 BAC is a pretty heavy night out. For those who do not know, the use of a recreational drug like K often masks the effects of booze. You don't 'feel the drunk', you feel the drug, and keep drinking. He loses track of time while under the K and booze and tries to get back to the airport to catch his flight. Maybe he met the woman while out? Anyway he was near the Fort Lauderdale airport around 6am. I-95 and I-595 meets at the airport. With the crazy night out, no one was paying attention to the gas situation. Car runs out of gas with the airport in sight. He doesn't want to call the police for help, would probably get a DUI. No one is thinking clearly at this point, he panicked, and we have the tragic end.

Ketamine (Special K) has been used recreationally at clubs and raves since the 1990s. The 60-90 minute period where the drug is strongest is known as a K-hole. After 2+ hours motor skills return to almost normal,but mentally may still be in a bit of a fog

That is how I make them at home. 6 wings in the air fryer. 1/4 cup of Franks, a TBSP of butter, a splash of white vinegar, with a dash of cayenne powder when the butter is melting into the Franks. Air fry the wings dry. Mix them in a container (don't have a painters bucket LOL!) and then air fry again for 5 minutes to cook the sauce in and add a bit more crispiness. Drizzle the wings with a touch of the left over sauce before serving, put the rest in a dipping cup. Everyone in WNY knows wings should be crispy and not wet and soggy! It's crazy how badly wings are messed up in other parts of the country. I've ordered Buffalo wings in Philadlephia and gotten an order of plain fried wings and a side of bad sauce.... and ranch..... Lucky man. After 8 pm and I have heartburn all night long.... Getting older blows.

I think we agree quite a bit. To be fair the Mahomes move was before Beane was the GM (at least officially). And the Chiefs were already built to compete with Alex Smith. Mahomes, landing with Reid on a team already built to win was just kismet and something Buffalo has to figure out how to overcome. Good points. I was using Mack/ Jones/ Von Miller as examples. You are right, it takes two parties to trade. Another example could have been pushing chips in to try to land a Bradberry last year when Tre went down. The DB depth contributed to the KC loss and it was pretty clear he could have been had. Given all the moves this offseason to make cap room, I can't help but think Buffalo could have done a trade and sign for him. Is he Jalen Ramsey? No. Could Buffalo have offered a reasonable comp package for him and signed him mid term (3-4 yrs) to lessen the cap hit and make him happy? Yes I believe so. Hey Shaw. I always appreciate your posts and insight. You have been a fan even longer than me and have seen it all. Insight from the 'old timers' helps offset some of the short term reactions we have as fans. I just can't help think that we are looking at a golden window and need to be aggressive. Haven't seen one like this since '88-'91. Buffalo is one of those teams poised to win it now. I hope Buffalo sees more success with Allen than Green Bay saw with Rodgers to date, and Indy did with Manning. If the Colts had been more aggressive could they have gotten past New England more often? Right now KC/Mahomes/Reid is Buffalo's version of Pats/Belichick/Brady. This team is solid, but is missing big time play guys IMO. Adding Von Miller helps, and is an admission of that IMO.

Hey Shaw, appreciate the reply, but I don't agree with you. I do generally understand and have historically agreed with the build through the draft philosophy. Use low priced rookie contracts to offset the QB contract when you find one, and if I am not mistaken Buffalo is in the last year of that 'window'. Everyone is looking at the Pats, and would like that 20 year model of consistency, but that required the best QB-Head Coach combo in history to pull off. Brady did often take less than market value for that to happen. The next closest example I can think of is the 49ers from the 1980's to 1990s and that spanned 2 excellent QBs (Montana and Young) and 2 excellent HC (Walsh and Seifert). Those teams were not shy about bringing in superstars regardless of picks/ cap (ie. D Sanders). Even the pre-free agency dynasties like the Raiders/ Cowboys/ Steelers could only maintain a similar pace for a decade. Rams prior to McVay and from 2017-2018 did a lot of building through the draft, saw they are in a window after their 2018 SB loss, and have gone for it since 2019. In 2019 the Rams made the Ramsey trade for a bunch of picks and have been 'all in' since. 2017 - 11-5 NFCW Champ, Lost WC 2018 - 13-3 NFCW Champ, Lost SB - realize they are in the window 2019 - 9-7 3rd DNQ (Ramsey) 2020 - 10-6 2nd NFCW, Lost Divisional 2021 - 12-5 1st NFCW, Won Super Bowl - all in (Stafford/ OBJ/ Von Miller) 2022 - ? Lost Von Miller and OBJ, replaced with Bobby Wagner and Allen Robinson The Rams have hit on a bunch of mid level picks which helps, but that is a strength that Bean and Company have. One could argue that Milano/ T Johnson and Gabe Davis have been bigger play makers than Edmunds/ Oliver/ Epenesa. If Buffalo was landing play makers outside of the QB with those 1st and 2nd round picks then yes this would be an easier position to defend, but they aren't. What young studs did Buffalo draft while the Rams were getting playmakers like Ramsey/ OBJ/ Von Miller with their picks? The Rams acknowledge that even when you have the guy you think is the QB, you still need other play makers on the team. Their philosophy since 2019 has been to get the known play maker and draft potential later in the draft. I think it is a wise strategy when you are in the low QB contract window. One of Beane's best moves as a GM was a 'Rams like' move trading away picks, including a 1st for Diggs. I would have liked to see one or two more moves like that a year or so ago, especially after the AFC Championship game loss, and make a more concentrated push for a SB win over that 2-3 yr span, than be competitive for a long time. With voidable years/ salary to bonus moves etc teams can move in and out of cap danger pretty easily right now. Look at the Saints, who went all in a while back. They were $60M over the cap at the start of FA and are now $12M under after losing very few players. As it stands the Bills with the more cautious path have $5.6 M cap space (OTC) or $5.05M (Spotrac). The Rams are $5.3M (OTC) or $4.6M (Spotrac) and have a Lombardy to show for it. A difference of opinion. I hope it pays off for Buffalo. The slight overpay for Von Miller now is an admission to me, that they missed on a trade for him/ Kalil Mack/ Chandler Jones etc a few years ago that could have made a difference the past two play off pushes. As it stands Buffalo will be doing some pretty significant retooling soon. It will be interesting to see what approach they take.