dave mcbride

That makes some sense. Big salary though, right?

Who? No one is available at this point. And what team is going to part with their backup QB at this stage?

No, it's based on the fact that he was actually drafted in a non-garbage time round (the fifth) and played four seasons against teams filled with NFL players-to-be. He is virtually the same guy as AJ McCarron, also a fifth rounder who played against the big boys in the SEC for years.

Because they're literally desperate. A team cannot go into a season opener with only one real QB on the roster. Because all of the other backs have been claimed. It's desperation time there.

If he's on waivers, it doesn't mean ATL will get him. They simply can't go into the season with only one credible QB. Sometimes you have to overpay a little to address a glaring need.

They're literally desperate. Desperation causes people to do things they normally wouldn't.

With AJ McCarron out for the season, ATL has only two QBs on their roster, and one of them is an undrafted rookie free agent (Felipe Franks). I prefer Webb to Fromm, although honestly it's more like six of one/half dozen of the other. Regardless, they're both fine as third stringers, so the Bills aren't creating any vulnerabilities. Rather than wait until cuts and hope they get lucky, Atlanta could secure via a trade a modestly credible backup in Fromm who also happens to be a hometown hero. And if they do it quickly, they'd at least get some camp under Fromm's belt. My view: if the Falcons offered a 4th rounder (or some combination that's equivalent to that) in the 2022 draft, I'd be all over it. https://www.usatoday.com/story/sports/nfl/falcons/2021/08/23/aj-mccarron-acl-tear-atlanta-falcons-quarterback/8239250002/

For a guy whose job seems to be on the line more and more as each week passes, this doesn't look like the wisest of business decisions: 'Anecdotally, it's also been obvious Newton isn't vaccinated. He's worn masks to outdoor press conferences and declined to divulge whether he got the shot. At this point nearly nine months into an American society with the vaccine, that usually means one has not been vaccinated. "It's too personal to discuss," Newton said earlier this month. "I'll just keep it at that." I am pro-vaccine and haven't hidden that when discussing COVID on air or on this here site. Months ago I decided against spending my days railing against NFL players who opted not to get the vaccine. There are too many of them, speaking nonsense too regularly, for me to fight them. I simply couldn't expend any more energy on Cole Beasley or Kirk Cousins or anyone else who chose to be loud and wrong about the vaccine. So with the best doctors in the world and experts both from the NFL and NFLPA available to Newton, and with plenty of time to develop a full understanding of the competitive advantages of being vaccinated, Newton made a clear and conscious choice to not get the vaccine.' https://www.cbssports.com/nfl/news/cam-newtons-absence-opens-door-for-mac-jones-in-patriots-starting-qb-battle-and-couldve-been-avoided/

I was thinking the other day that his nickname should be The General Will. It's preferable to Groot, at least in my (nerdy) opinion! A bit more menacing.

Fitz is a better player now than when he was on the Bills. Just too many picks thrown when he was in a Bills uniform. 64 picks in 53 games. Actually, they have an above average defense by every measure. The bigger issue is "preseason."

Take out the 2018 season when the Bears had the best defense in the league BY FAR, and he's .500. They were 20th in offensive DVOA that season but first in defensive DVOA. They were also first in points allowed and turnovers forced. In 2019, the Bears D was fourth in points allowed and 8th in yards allowed, but the offense was 29th in both points and yardage. In 2020, the D was also significantly better than the offense (14th and 11th vs. 22nd and 26th). I think he's probably the best since Bledsoe, who for all of his many flaws and poor performances did have a legit good season in 2002. Tyrod Taylor has a case, however. As for "since Kelly," Trubisky is most certainly not better than Flutie was from 1998-2000 (22-8 as a starter and one of those straws that stirs drinks). Not even close.

Silver lining — if they stash Stevenson on the practice squad with a genuine (not fake!) foot injury or put him on 8-week IR, he is less likely to be snatched away by another team. I don’t think he makes the roster as it is, but he’s a good developmental prospect and I wouldn't like to lose him.

Yes, they are indeed a good and talented team. That has been on display. Their running game is so well-coached and well-executed. I see 11 wins.

This is so true.

We simply don’t know. I think there’s a little too much certitude here about him being done. The future is unwritten. He may end up sucking; He may revert to the mean. So much depends on the coaching and the supporting cast. He certainly has played well before, so he has it in him.

He was really bad last season for a number of reasons, but the Eagles’ line really was THAT bad.

Like I said, regression to the mean. He is going from a team that had arguably the worst o-line in the league to a team with one of the very best. Let’s wait and see. He was actually pretty good in the previous two seasons and basically got them to the playoffs nearly single-handedly in 2019.

Wentz should be fine by that point. The last time Wentz played against Buffalo, he played great. I suspect he regresses to the mean, which means upward movement.

Yo are forgetting Leonard Williams, who always looked great to me when he played against the Bills. The Jets trade him for a song, and he ends up being one of the better DTs in the league last season (11.5 sacks, 30 qb hits from the DT spot). Jets gonna jet. I know it’s PFF, but they have them in their top 100 players of the league list for this season.

I am not going to predict each game, but here is my divisional prediction: Bills: 12-5 - A tougher schedule and a probable split with the Pats, who look to be much better than last season. Genuinely difficult games: both Pats games, Tampa, Pitt (although I think they win this one), TN, Indy, KC, and maybe Washington in the final week. Pats: 11-6 - They appear to be a LOT better than last season. They still have the greatest coach of all time, and their roster is greatly improved. We don’t like it, but they’ll be good and always a tough out. I wouldn’t want to face them in the playoffs. Miami: 9-8 / 8-9 - solid roster with a lot of talent, but I’m not a believer in the QB. If he’s genuinely physically recovered form the hip injury, though, he’ll be better. It really limited him last season. The jury is still out on that, of course. Jets: 5-12 - Still bad, but more competitive than last season given the improved roster and a head coach who simply has to be better than Gase. One of those teams that will probably lose to the Bills twice but might sneak one from them in a close game. They play the Steelers and Ravens twice, so that’s six games, not four. It’s a tough call because the Browns are legit, but I’m picking the Ravens (ever so slightly) to win that division. They have just won too many blowouts in the last couple of seasons to think they’ll win anything less than 11 games.

He has been playing better lately. Still doesn’t look like a baseball player, however! Lots of MLB guys strike out a lot. They just don’t look as bad as Stanton doing it. Overall, while the Yanks are doing it with some smoke and mirrors now (SO many 1-2 run win games), hopefully when they they get everyone back healthy they’ll be able to keep the train rolling and a) get a big game from Cole and the bullpen in the WC game and b) take revenge on the Astros in round one. i don’t want to face the Rays. Big big series vs. the As coming up.

Forget that -- kickoff and punt return TDs only!

For a couple of months starting in late December, red wine tasted like an off-brand version of CranGrape to me. It’s back to normal now.

Agreed. I wasn’t really myself physically for about 5-6 weeks afterward. That’s an extremely common effect. And I didn’t have any breathing problems or anything like that.

Played A & A 1942 this past Saturday, actually! It's pretty "light," but it's a really fun game. For the really serious, there is World in Flames: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/World_in_Flames. It's a great game, but incredibly complex and a real time commitment. Check out the rule book! https://gamers-hq.de/media/pdf/4a/f9/7c/WiF_CE_RulesBook_8th_Feb_WEB.pdf