BigAl2526

Designed runs are part of what makes Allen so effective. I think I saw Allen take more hard hits staying in the pocket than I ever saw him taking when running the ball. He should never try to be a Michael Vick, but I'm fine with him making an occasional run that might be the difference between winning and losing.

Even if that is the case, Buffalo has too many offensive linemen, and turning a non-starter or two into draft picks is only common sense.

Indications from McDermott are that Brown will not be starting in September. He hasn't practiced much due to his recovery from surgery. As a young player he needs to get more practice in. It sounds almost as if he'll need to earn his way back into the starting lineup.

Kudos for the humor, but the reality is the Carolina connection is liable to decrease as time passes. Nobody from the management and coaching staff remains from the time that Beane and McDermott were with the team, and few of the players are left with whom Beane and McDermott would have any familiarity.

I'm also in favor of the league allowing the Bills to keep a 65 man roster.

He'll probably make out OK in any case. At the very least he'll have a paycheck on the PS, with a good chance another team signs him at some point.

Agreed. I'd like to see Araiza execute a pooch punt or directional punt out of bounds to pin an opponent deep. We know Haack can punt it short.

I only attend games rarely. Part of that is cost. It I get priced out of the market, so be it.

Some of the rankings sound OK. I think some are simply a guess. The Bills seem to think Ed Oliver is on the verge of a breakout. Tim Settle was buried on the depth chart at Washington. Most think he's going to be pretty good, but he could be better than that, kind of like Jordan Poyer when Buffalo signed him away from Cleveland. Neither Jones nor Phillips are stars, but matched with quality players, they have plenty of ability to cause damage. They may well end up out playing the expectations that national observers have of them. We'll need to wait and see though.

So sad. As a fan, one cannot help but be curious why such a young man is no longer with us. It's hard to balance that against the family's need for privacy, but I respect that the need is real.

You mean we can't have starter quality DTs on the practice squad and not expect other teams to sign them away. I'm crushed.

Yeah, that really is the issue. Good teams have good players, and good players want to get paid. Beane's strategy in building the Bills has included a few big splash free agents, but he has also depended a lot on acquiring young talent with a lot of upside, and then developing that talent. Jordan Poyer was one of those. I had to look it up, but I think he was signed after McDermott was named head coach, but before Beane was hired as GM. Still, he was a promising young safety with Cleveland, though entirely unproven before Buffalo signed him. If those young, talented players do develop, they are eventually going to get paid. GMs of successful teams have to engage in a delicate balancing act to keep their teams on top. Who do you give a big money deal to get the best bang for your buck, and who do you let go because the money is better spent elsewhere. I don't envy Beane's position for the challenges he's facing.

I get that OBJ is an elite talent, and would potentially make the team better. I still have some difficulty with the fact that his presence would take away reps from young, promising receivers we've been waiting to for a while to break out: Gabriel Davis and Isaiah McKenzie. Khalil Shakir is just a rookie, but what he's done has been impressive and fun to watch. Even Isaiah Hodgins seems like a player who has shown enough that he deserves a shot to show what he can do on Sundays. (and now in prime time). I know it is my own bias, but where possible, I like to see the home grown talent develop and shine. Yes, the Bills signed Stephon Diggs when the receiving corps needed help, but now we've got home grown talent just begging for the chance to shine. They will get less of a chance to shine if OBJ becomes a Bill.

Kelly is just jealous that he never had the athleticism to pull off designed runs with any regularity. Relax - I'm kidding.

Hmmm. If you see him, what do you think the odds are of him saying some version of, "It's the fault of the Panthers. Thy must have started it."

I do remember the days when he was QB of the Chiefs, and I watched a few of the games where he was QB. At 87 he has lived a long, full life, longer than I expect to live. Still, a slow death is tough no matter what age you are. I hope he is at peace.

This could be big! Not necessarily good, but big. On a more serious note, the answer could depend on the situation. What is the skill set of the cornerback the replacement will be facing? If it is a small, quick CB, I might like the matchup Hodgins provides. Hodgins can box him out like a basketball player and outreach him easily. If the CB is bigger, and not as athletic, then McDermott might decide Shakir's quickness and moves will give him an advantage in creating separation. Both receivers have great hands.

There is a sllim chance Beane can make a trade or two, but I won't be the least bit surprised if none happen.

You'll have to head to Piggly Wiggly where he'll be stocking groceries.

The latest news: They were claimed off waivers by Piggly Wiggly.

I don't know that his place on the PS is a given. He's got some UDFA competition for that spot. He's getting a look because he's a draft pick, but having played poorly, it would not surprise me to see those UDFAs get more of a look going forward.

I think Spencer brown is going to be fine as starter, and Quessenberry is more than adequate as a backup. Tenuta is going to be on the practice squad at best. He may have upside, but he needs plenty of development.

I feel as if Tyler Matekevich is in the roster spot that would be occupied by Specter. Matekevich is on the Bills by virtue of his prowess as a special teams player, although he hasn't embarrassed himself when he's subbed for Edmunds. He just doesn't have the athleticism to be more than an occasional sub. Specter was on special teams tonight and made some plays. McDermott tends to trust his veterans all other things being equal, but Specter. being a 7th round draft pick has a really cheap contract, while Matekevich's contract is pricey for what he is. If Specter continues to play well, both on defense and special teams, the difference in contracts between the two players could make Beane and McDermott think long and hard about cutting Matekevich in favor of Specter.

I think I'll just set back and see how all this shakes out. Too many conflicting bits of information in this thread to come to any kind of iron clad conclusion.