Simon

Thanks man, although considering my choice of topic that sentiment is not likely widespread. I don't see it that way at all, which is one of the reasons I'm willing to take some short-term lumps watching Manuel develop. I think we have a young, sharp, proactive GM who wants nothing more on this Earth than to build a winning franchise. We also have a hungry new owner who is willing to do whatever it takes to win. That is a beautiful combination and when you factor in how loaded this roster already is, I believe it sets up the Bills for sustained, long-term success. Typically I'd be doubtful, but considering that we've already seen it happening there's no reason he can't continue on that trajectory

Just watch both of them stand in the pocket and throw the 20yrd out from the opposite hash and it won't take long at all to see the difference

I bet y’all are thrilled to have another thread about QB’s. Well, I haven’t posted since last year so I’m starting one whether you like it or not. Why should EJ Manuel be the starter in Week 1? It’s not because he’s the best QB on the roster, because right now he’s no better (or even as consistent) than the other two guys he’s competing with. It’s not because he gives the Bills the best chance to win in Week 1, because right now he probably doesn’t give them any better chance than either of the other guys. The reason he should start the first game of the season is because he gives the Bills the best chance to win a Super Bowl at some point in the next 5 years. I’ve been thinking about the dynamic we’ve been observing throughout this offseason and the one thing that keeps coming to the forefront, both with the fanbase and with the franchise, is that all anybody wants to talk about is making the playoffs this year. We’ve been irrelevant for so long that we’ve reached the point where just making the playoffs one time has become the Buffalo Bills ultimate goal. I think we’re so desperate to be relevant again that we’ve developed an acute case of short-sighted tunnel vision which is making us incapable of seeing the big picture or looking any further down the road than our own hood ornament. Why is this a problem? Because our narrow-minded need for the short-term quick fix of a single playoff appearance may well cost us the opportunity to win a loftier prize in the near future. For 2 decades the Bills have been desperately wishing for a “franchise” QB to lead this team. For the first time in ages we actually have a high character, blue chip athlete with a big arm and a world-class work ethic sitting right in our laps. He’s played less than a season’s worth of NFL football under an asshat of a coach and behind an atrocious OLine; yet despite that embarrassing lack of support we’ve all watched this kid steadily improve since the day he was drafted. And now suddenly we want to stick him at the end of the bench and stop his development dead in its tracks to take a flier on some other guy who might or might not be marginally better at the moment, just because we are so desperate to make the playoffs one time?! Frag that noise. I don’t want to make the playoffs one time, I want to make multiple championship runs over the next 5-7 years; and the Bills are well-positioned to do just that if they can smartly develop a “franchise” QB to go with the ton of talent they have accumulated all over the roster. Matt Cassell is not ever going to be that guy, Tyrod Taylor is not ever going to be that guy. But unlike those two, EJ Manuel has the god-given toolbox and the natural skillset to become exactly that guy. Do we really want to kick the potential franchise QB we’ve been waiting 20 years for to the curb for what may or may not be an incremental short-term improvement because we’ve become so pathetically desperate that our big goal has now been reduced to making the playoffs one time? I say the hell with being the scared, desperate little ninnies who are so afraid of mistakes that we’re not willing to dare greatly. The hell with playing it safe when there’s a chance for glory sitting right there in front of us if we’re bold enough to risk it. The hell with just making the playoffs this year when being resolute and steadfast might lead to the grand prize down the road. Put Manuel out there in Week 1 and let him make the mistakes that he needs to make before he can learn to eliminate them. Give him the realistic chance to continue the progress he’s clearly been making and to possibly reach the level that can get us over the top. If he stops improving, then we can turn to our Brad Johnson or our Doug Flutie and play for just one year. But don’t start with one of those guys at the expense of developing the kid that might be exactly who and what we’ve been desperately seeking for 20 years.

1) Whaley does not have the sort of outsized ego that would prevent him from improving his team by refusing to move a player just because it was his draft pick 2) Do you have any idea exactly how long Doug has known LeSean McCoy? 3) No matter how many times you try to put it on Rex, it will never become any truer. I don't think either team "lost" the deal. They both will probably be a little better for it over the next 3-4 years and by then both guys will be held together with too much duct tape and bailing wire to be impact players. The Bills get significantly better in an area of need and only give up a LB in the middle of a deep rotation. No worries.

Wow, is Urban Meyer a fantastic football coach.....

I'll throw a one-man party if they can figure out a way to get Bill Callahan on board. But as far as analyzing opponents/game-planning/self-scouting/quality control/etc Rex can provide a unique perspective on how oppoinents are likely to attack the Bills and how that can compromise the integrity of opposing defenses. When they're implementing the offense during the offseason and calling it on gameday, I agree Rex should be concentrating elsewhere, but he's got too valuable a pair of eyes to not utilize them as much as possible. That would be as dumb as acquiring a stud WR and then making him an afterthought in your offense.

A significant mutual respect has already developed between the two. Probably because they have views on the game of football that are VERY compatible. It's already light years better than what was going on with Marrone.

I don't know if you're just having a bit 'o' fun, but if you're serious then I disagree. I want Rex very involved with the offense once the season starts, particularly on Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday.

He was a 4 year starter in college and he's probably already played 50 games in the NFL. I think we have a pretty good idea of what he is and isn't going to be.

I'm talking about his ability to recognize what is happening on a football field (reading defenses, recognizing down/distance, understanding matchup advantages/disadvantages, playing to game situations, etc). His ability to take standardized tests isn't something that interests me.

I agree with most of this in principle, but I will say one thing for Scwartz. He displayed an unexpected level of self-control by not tripping over his own schwartz and trying to play too much with the most loaded toybox he's ever likely to see.

I'm sure this will generate a lot of laughter but I wouldn't trade EJ for Kaepernick. Ayup.....

Well, let's see: Dumber than a chicken - check Can't hit any side of the barn....from the inside - check Zero leadership ability - check Couldn't read a defense if you translated it into hooked on phonics - check Endorsed by arguably the worst talent evaluator in the entire history of TBD - check All this for only a second rounder? Gee, where do I sign up?!

They're definitely off to an excellent start.....

On the money boss.....

Or maybe he's unhappy because he knows the Brandon clan are about to get their nuts clipped.....

Didn't I already point out all this ****?

They're in a Cover 1 on 1st down because they have absolutely zero fear of the Bills hurting them downfield. Orton has two primary reads here, the first is the one he actually took up the right sideline; the other is waiting for Watkins to come clean on the drag route, but only if he's willing to wait on it. He's clearly not willing to wait on it (possibly for good reason) so he went with the default option of the outside throw against that defense. If he is stupid enough to throw the post against a Cover 1 like The Big Clueless wants him to, its an automatic pick unless the WR makes a great defensive play. Yeah, but we still have 840 words to play with.....

Orton has been atrocious for over a month now. That being said, you still have no idea what you're looking at or talking about.

I agree that he is certainly a load to handle once he gets a head of steam up. But until he gets that momentum going he's nothing but a big fat target, and he can't get that momentum going unless he's got a gaping hole directly in front of him. It makes him a hit or miss player that is way too reliant on others for his success. And I will take Fred's brains, multi-dimensional skillset, leadership, propensity for clutch plays and ability to make something out of nothing every day of the week over a one-trick pony like Lynch. Regardless of how blind I may be, even I can see his greater value to a team.

I don't care much about the math; I just kind of go by what I see on the field. As for other guys I'd rather have in my backfield because I think they're better backs: Adrian Peterson Shady McCoy Arian Foster Matt Forte Jamaal Charles DeMarco Murray Leveon Bell Fred Jackson Frank Gore

Wow, I guess it just really goes to show just how much opinions can vary on a player; I don't even think I would consider him to be one of the top 10 backs currently in the NFL, much less deserving to be even remotely close to belonging in a conversation about all-time greats. He doesn't make people miss, isn't much of a threat in the passing game, has no burst, doesn't block and needs to have a 6 foot wide hole directly in front of him to build up enough momentum to be effective. We don't even think about the guy except for once every couple years when we see a highlight reel run; the rest off the time he's stumbling into traffic for 3 yard gains and getting yanked on 3rd down because he's a one-dimensional plodder with a limited skill set and a woefully incomplete game. He's fun to watch when everything lines up for him but at the end of the day he's still a dime-a-dozen straight line back that's fortunate to be in a great situation. If he was still in Buffalo we'd be recognizing what a horrible reach he was in the draft in the first place.

If Jay Cutler was a free agent and showed up at One Bills Drive agreeing to play for the vet minimum, I would have security escort him out.

I don't know man. After having to stand around grinding his teeth for half a game last week, I wonder if Hughes wouldn't have been on his best behavior; that is until Barrington blew up his captain and gave everybody else a freebie to play with. I'll tell you this much. If Whaley had been the GM at the time, CJ Spiller (or any other 190lb RB) would not have been the pick. He fought that one at the time. He also went down to Atlanta to personally work out Demaryius Thomas and the Bills were trying to trade back up into the mid-late 20's for him when Denver snagged him first. Love that dude; he can wear a Bills uni as long as he wants. That being said, I'm really afraid his legs are shot. I won't argue too hard with you because I only saw it the one time live and never since. I just know it pissed me off at the time and if Fred had been hustling to make a tackle on a live ball I don't think I would have reacted by dropping a string of f-bombs and death threats that made the dog run out of the room.

At the risk of sounding like some internet tough guy, I think the Packers were pretty galdanged fortunate that Bulaga was the only guy that got rung up. The Bills D year-long history of dealing damage + that offense's relative inexperience dealing with pick returns + the fact that we actually took two from Rodgers + the fact that it was Fred = a recipe for a potential slaughterhouse out there. I'd like to see a full field view of what ensued after the second pick to see if Rodgers immediately hit the ground and about 7 other Packers were spinning in circles trying to locate incoming missiles. The fact that it was Bulaga's replacement that gave up the game-ending play to the Big Man was some tasty frontier justice.