ChasBB

Nice link. From all I've read and seen, it sounds to me like at least 2 other teams, if not more, had a pretty strong interest in Manuel. I think Buddy was smart to not get greedy with more draft picks and to just hang at 16. It's just too big of a risk to lose your QB. I think Buddy played it perfectly.

https://soundcloud.c...-nfl-draft-pick (sound link from Miller & Brandt when the selection happened)

Manuel's 70% completion percentage while rolling out / on-the-run is very impressive. The past couple of years once you saw our QB rolling out to avoid pressure you just kind of knew the play was over before it even was. This will be a nice change.

It's pretty obvious from listening to Manuel speak in interviews and press conferences after he was drafted that he wanted to be a Buffalo Bill all along. However, I think it is also telling that before the draft he said "They really want me" in regards to the Philadelphia Eagles. I think that may have really been a message to Buffalo that the Bills had better select him in the first round because he wasn't going to still be there the next time the Bills picked. Had he wanted to be an Eagle instead, Manuel may well have emphasized to the media how much the Bills really wanted to select him, instead, thus spurring the Eagles to make whatever moves necessary to obtain him, short of taking him at #3. I could be wrong, of course, but it's just a thought. In any event, I'm glad he was selected by Buffalo!

Congrats to Buddy, Doug, & staff -- they got their guy and picks -- nicely done

Wasn't Mike Williams a "can't miss guy"?!

Nice analysis -- and I agree with you about Easley.

I had forgotten it was Buffalo (Carrington & Kelsey) that ended Kolb's season!

Nice theory if they were bringing him in at or close to the league minimum, but a contract that could max at $13 million sure would be an expensive decoy.

Sounds like something Belichick would say -- I like it.

Excerpt from http://www.npr.org/blogs/monkeysee/2012/10/02/162162226/espns-broke-looks-at-the-many-ways-athletes-lose-their-money: "By the time they have been retired for two years, 78 percent of former NFL players have gone bankrupt or are under financial stress; ..."

That's a great stat -- 28% completions to TEs in 2011 -- that is very telling that provided they have a solid guy at the position, they'll utilize him. Great info -- thanks for taking a moment to explain your view!! Interesting New Orleans reference, too!

Agree Chan could have used the TE even more than he did, but it sure was a nice change from Jauron where the TE was virtually invisible.

I don't know how much Syracuse used their TE, but this contradicts another's assessment on this site (I know, big wow, right? -- unheard of for people to see things differently here) Anyhow, I'll still proceed (at the risk of getting a bit off-topic since this is really a Chandler thread) ... In this thread -- http://forums.twobil...racuse-offense/ -- After watching a "handful" of games, Simon wrote this about the use of the TE position at Syracuse: "Use of the TE was very limited; sitting in underneath zones for quick hitters was about the extent of it." Now, Simon's sampling wasn't extensive, but I'm just curious what you are basing your remark on that Marrone's offense actually use the TEs? And I'm not saying it isn't so. Again, I've not studied their offense, so I really have no say in the matter, but in comparing your comment to another who apparently actually did take some legit time to study the Syracuse offense and came away with an entirely different opinion than you on the use of TE position, it has made me curious about your remark and so I'm hoping you can maybe elaborate on it based on what you've seen. Thanks!

I found his speech inspirational and just wanted to share:

You hit the nail on the head right there. With all the supposed talent on defense, if they could have merely ranked 15th or thereabouts, we'd be talking playoffs and Fitz would be labeled a good game manager instead of a game wrecker. But the defense, amazingly, managed to totally suck and rank last or next to last or wherever the hell they ended up -- unbelievable.

y, that would be fun to watch, too.

I'd rather watch punt, pass, & kick competition. Whatever the hell happened to that anyhow? That was always fun to watch.

Fitz audibles play and under pressure in his own endzone (hardly even stepped into his throw), hits a dead-on strike to TO (ball travels about 50 yards in the air): http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FxCWzyUtFbY He's thrown a few other good deep balls, too. It's not something he does a lot and there certainly are other QBs with stronger arms. I wish Fitz did have a stronger arm, but he is capable of getting it downfield when called upon to do so.

I think many fans are writing off Fitz way too soon. I think the "real" Fitz is the guy who started the 2011 season before he busted his ribs. As for 2012, I think the loss of Cortez as QB coach and the addition of Lee totally messed Fitz up. How you gonna change a guy's mechanics at his age? Maybe some things can be tweaked, but it seems Lee tried to completely overhaul his mechanics. Fitz was probably thinking too much during his throws and not just playing. Additionally, it was the inopportune timing of Fitz's turnovers that hurt more than anything else (combined with stupid play calling by the HC). He threw 7 fewer picks in 2012 than in 2011. If the Bills defense performed even HALF as well as advertised in 2012, Fitz would have been adequate enough to get the Bills in the playoffs. Instead, he was always playing catch-up. His confidence is probably shot all to hell now thanks to Lee and Gailey's dumb play calling, but I still think the guy can play. Just tell him to throw the ball however feels natural to him -- and stop trying to !@#$ with his mechanics. Let him call some of his own plays when they run the no huddle and I think you'll see the same Fitz that started 2011 season. I'm NOT suggesting the Bills don't seek another QB as there is no one else on the roster after Fitz (maybe TJ, but we don't know). I'm suggesting the Bills draft a QB in 1st or 2nd round and/or also make a play for any decent free agent QBs that come available. However, I'd like to see Fitz be allowed to compete for the job under the new coaching staff and see what happens. Whoever earns the starting job gets it. If nothing else, we have a solid backup who is very familiar with his receivers and could step in at any moment and perform decently.

Noooooooooooo! The white helmet is way classier looking. Never should have gone to red to begin with.

And this is precisely why I do not buy NFL Sunday Ticket, buy jerseys, and so on. I'll watch a Bills game only if it happens to come over the airwaves -- which where I live is about once or twice per year. Otherwise, I'll listen to it on WGR. However, I will not financially support these greedy bastards. Oh, I may occasionally attempt to attend a game, but even that is pretty rare for me. If the NFL didn't act this way I'd feel differently. Hell, didn't they even give our beloved TBD crap for a while? They can go to hell.

I agree. He'll be on the roster in 2013 for the full season either in a backup capacity or as a starter.

Good thing Marcia wasn't wearing his Stilettos -- could have been nasty.

Unsportsman-like conduct is always a 15-yarder.