Fake-Fat Sunny

The bad thing about the Johnson deal was not what the Bills gave up for him as a 1st and a 4th were about right for a starter QB who had never been designated the #1 QB by Jax, but who had stepped into the role after Jax lost Brunell and their back-up to injury. The dumb thing was re-signing him to a deal with a huge bonus before he had shown that he was up to being an NFL player. The Bills made it really fatal because in order to get Flutie here they had agreed to a bonus laden contract in which any bonuses he achieved were rolled into his base salary the next year. The irony is what happened as Flutie performed exactly like we hoped he would when he stepped in for an injured RJ. Thus our cap hit for 2000 at QB was: $5 million plus for RJ (mostly in distributed bonus and a small salary). $3 million for Flutie from bonus obtained in 99 which were not allocated to the cap $3 million for Flutie in base salary now augmented by his achieved bonuses In the face of this enormous cap hit which we could not pay without cutting some core players, we re-signed Flutie to a longterm deal which got rid of the base salary and distributed it as bonus over the life of a contract he would never conclude. Its not the trade, its the contract that kills you.

I believe Clumpy's web collection of salary cap data (a work in progress as he says so nothing is certain, but the best Bills specific cap figures available to fans by far) has a Drew cao hit of 4.3 million hit if you cut him immediately and a $3.2 million hit if you cut him after June 1, 2005. Folks want him cut and cut now to make them feel better but clearly this is insanity. Some want to cut him after the season and take the total cap hit next year, but I think this makes a difference as to whether you are shopping for a declining quality FA or whether you can attract an FS who was productive (though stuill not top quality) FA. I think you hold him as a Bill until Jone of 05 amd then make him a cap casualty. Apparently his bonus and his salary amount to a little over $5 million if you keep him. As this number likely places him in the top 10 QB salaries he is a goner one way or another after this season.

Was last year Carson Palmers growing pains when he ssat all last year? Were growing pains with Kyle Boller last year when he played reasonably well before his injury or this year when his QB rating has been worse? Were Pennington's growing pains the first year when he sat, the second year when he sat or his throd year when he took the Jets to tje playoffs? I donm't kmow where you found this "rule: about what it means when you draft a QB in the 1st round and some alleged schedule he must keep, but it seeems pretty far removed from reality. I'll try to keep the operative rule here short for folks who are freaked by long posts. Start Losman when he is ready, not a moment sooner, and not a moment later. Do you disagree with this?

Or recieved one important call from the NFL brass, if this happened because some NFL wonk thiught it was a good idea and thought asking Terrell is he would do it was for some reason talking to a voice of reason.

I say start him when he is ready to start, not a moment before and not a moment after.

Hey what gives! I should be on the list of folks who do not realize what a horrible mistake trading for Bledsoe was. I am of the illusion that it was a good thing to do as a time even from a football perspective as we desperately needed an NFL quality starting QB to replace RJ (who I agree with another poster the trade for him was a candidate for the stupidest move of all time) because AVP is a great back-up but no starter and Jeff Blake and Chris Chandler were the guys available in the free market. The Bledsoe deal provided this as seen by the team's improvement on the field from 3-13 to 8-8 and Bledsoe's play had a big role in this as he merited his reserve Pro Bowl nod (do you disagree and if so then who deserved it instead of him?) As far as fleecing it was actually NE that got initially raped by the presence of Bledsoe because they studpidly signed him to a "lifetime" deal he didn't merit at the time because even then it was clear it takes a great HC and a lot of luck to work with the limitations and strengths of Bledsoe (strength in the case of Parcells who led a team QB'ed by Bledsoe to the SB, and luck he made for himself because BB deserves a ton of praise for picking Brady when he and the entire NFL had passed on him 5 or more times, but luck it was as no one but no one expected him to have success he has had). NE got fleeced by the Bledsoe deal because they were forced by the dumb lifetime deal and Brady's play to trade him and the resulting accelerated cap hit is a big part of why they missed the playoffs that year and bookened it with SB wins. I stupidly see the Bledsoe deal as good on the football side and great on the business side (as we still are likely to sell out most home games even with him at QB) even though I acknowledge it as a wash overall because the benefits gained from his first year play were matched by his ineffectiveness in his second year. Even counting this acqusition as a wash, I would say the actual TD candidate for dumb football move of the millenia was not quitting while we're even and letting Bledsoe go instead of resigning him. This mistake was amplified by the braintrust having so much faith in their ability to pull off a Parcells/BB with a rookie coach and revive his career, we never made what probably would have been only a little stretch in terms of cash outlay to get a credible #2 (which Travis Brown was not even before his injury) which we never did. It simply strikes me as revisionist history to claim the Bledsoe trade was a debace from the start: 1. He delivered for us his first year on the field and certainly off. 2. NE did the right thing by keeping him and trading Bledsoe but absorbing the first Bledsoe contract was a killer for them. 3. Bledsoe production sucked his second year as opponents got enough tape on him and Killdrive refused to adjust at all and BB provided a template for how to nullify him (though even the two guranteed losses againt NE were a small trade-off for us getting to 8-8 and meant nothing for NE as they missed the playoffs that year despite the two guarnateed victories. 4. The big mistake was resigning him when he was likely done as an effective player for us and banking so heavily on MM/TC reviving him we never got a credible back-up for him. However, please put mwe on your list of idiots who do not see the Bledsoe trade as the worst in history.

My sense is that the lead factor in determing whether Bledsoe makes the HOF is who is competing against him at the time. Particularly since i think there were may far more noteworthy QBs he will likely be competing with to get in, he will have to wait. However, the longer he plays the more the Kelly's and Elways will be retired long enough that the other QBs folks will have to choose from will be the Brett Favres (Bledsoe must wait) but if its the Trent Dilfers (won the SB but theD carried him) and Vinny Testaverdes (longevity bt never won the SB) Bledsoe is in. The HOF is being used here as a measure of greatness, but in the end like the rest of this form of entertainment it is a popularity contest. My sense of judging Bledsoe's chances of actually making the HOF there are three factors (among many important factors) of import- 1. Stats and play- a player must have played at a level where he gained fame from his achievements. Bledsoe's stats actualy are mediocre in a lot of areas, but he had enough outstanding seasons (even if they are fewer than we would like) and he has a long enough carrer to move up the cumulative stat list that I think his faults will not be a problem and Drew advocates can pick out the best things (his banner years and cumulative stas even if averages suck) to make the case for him. 2. Winning or making the big one- This will be one of the big half empty/half full Bledsoe debates as most QBs never even lead a team to the SB (which he did) orare part of a winning SB team (which he was). However, there are legit half empty arguments that it really took the presence of one of the best HCs ever to force him to the SB, and that his injury was a critical part of his team being able to win one (though he did play QB in the majority of a must-win game for the Pats so owning an SB win ring is legit for him. 3. Popularity- This factor can come from a lot of areas, despite the fact no one would mistake him for a brain surgeon and actions like his restaurant in Buffalo going bankrupt left many local middle class folks high and dry finanancially, there was no better gamer than Jim Kelly who lost the SB and came back for more. he is truly a notable player. Bledsoe on the other hand also has that gamer/teamer persona which makes him a popular person and particularly after the hatred many Bills and Pats fans have for his losing ways fades with his retirement this will serve him well. My guess is that if he retures the same year as Favre he waits, but a year later or a year sooner he may end up going in on the first ballot.

I think the debate on whether starting JP "right now" is the crux of the argument. I say yes defintiely start him if he is ready, but all indicators point to him not beeing ready to start yet. IF I were coach I would not start him until he is ready. Do you disgree? Certainly, look at Carson Palmer (a QB judged by most NFL types as more talented than JP but yet he sat all year) but also look at other QBs and their experiences: Chad Pennington- perhaps one of the closer analogies to JP in terms of draft position and what he brings to the game (leadership ability but college experience which was successful but needs some work) though they are very different as players so there is no direct analogy. He got his first start in his third season after seeing mop-up roles similar to JP on Sunday his first two years and parleyed what he learned from sitting into leading his team to the playoffs his first year as a starter. Michael Vick- far better player than JP who has a better arm, some mechanical issues, and runs far better than JP and many RBs. However, he too sat most of his rookie year getting a couple of starts late in the season and in his second year led AT to the playoffs- Peyton Manning- one ofthe greatest students of the game ever as Dad Archie started him early. Not athletic in his movement but so efficient and econmical it ain't even funny. He profitted big time from starting immediately though his play and learning experience were useless to the team's W/L as they finished with the same 3-13 record he found. Yet, he showed he was special as he was the ONLY QB to start all 15 games for his team that year. These are all examples which speak even more loudly to me than the Carson Palmer example. Pennington and Vick both profitted from what Kyle Boller found last year when he started but got knocked out by injury. He was surprised to find that there are things a player can learn on the bench that he can't learn from playing. The irony for me is that I do believe that JP may actually profit a lot and be able to start at some point this season BECAUSE he got hurt and could not play. if he used the time well in the booth and at Sam Wyche's knee, i think he will actually be able to contribute to the Bills sooner. I doubt this will happen right away because the injury denied him practice time he needed to work on his mechanics, but we'll see.

I say start him as well when he is ready to start. However, all the signs I see indicate he is not ready to start yet. 1. Is the leg up to a full game of NFL pounding? Maybe Dr. ICE and god know but I sure don't. My guess from how the Bills' docs and braintrust have handled situations like WM's rehab is that they tend to be pretty conservative and deliberate. How JP's leg recovers after his brief play Sunday will say alot (is there any swelling, is there any limitation in range of motion) but mostly will determine whether he sits most or all of the game apparently). 2. Has he consumed the NFL playbook, reading Ds properly, and effectively communicating those reads to the team? I dunno? I suspect the injury actually provided him with great benefits for focusing on his learning, but he has had little pracice and no gametime to work on the last two items. 3. How are his mechanics? This was a clear area that he needed to work on when drafted and this work is best done in the field house throwing hundreds of passes. Even with a broken wheel he should have been able to watch tape if good QB motion and his own problems, visiualize himself doing it properly and even at slow speeds go through the correct physical steps. However, did this happen and did it take? I hope he is good to go now or soon, but I simply doubt he is ready to start. While he MUST play to get good enough it is not the ONLY thing he needs to do to become a good QB.

My understanding (and the cap rules actually change a bit so it may be wrong) is that when a player retires there is some type of settlement cap hit which comes out of the same black box where the league/nflpa sets draft compensation totals under which there is still some dead space for a retired player but the hit is not as hard. This meets the players interests by allowing a team to give a big bonus to a player and not live in fear that they are going to get slammed by some act of nature because a player is forced to retire due to injury. On the other hand, this method also preserves competition as a team cannot simply give a huge bonus to a player and "rent" him for one season as he retires and the cap hit is forgiven. I think in the Phil Hansen case for example, it was pretty clear that he would never play out his contract and the large bonus he was paid was a sham, however, he theoretically and the Bills hoped he would last another year but he retired while he could still walk. Some settlement was reached by the Bills and the "black box" where we had some dead space hit but not the full hit we could have taken.

Even more so, I think he is a good player to have around under the right conditions, but these conditions are fairly limited, declining with his age and not the situation the Bills are in at all. To me, Bledsoe has been an extremely positive player to have under two very limited but winning situations. 1. In the mid-90s with one of the best HCs ever, Parcells was able to pull off having him be the QB on a team which made the SB. I attribute a lot of this to Parcells force of will as he employed an offense which made good use of the threat of Drew's arm, called upon Bledsoe to be a positive leader only as he provided tough love discipline to the team which got them to play their hearts out with him dropping the bomb on someone who sinned against the team, and dealt with Bledsoe's worst limitation by constantly reminding hin to throw the damn ball. 2. Bledsoe played a central role to the Pats first SB winner through the being a positive by not being a negative and gracefully stepping out of the weigh when Brady took his job bh playing well when Bledsoe was hurt. Bledsoe did two things which were even more extraordinary for a competitive player and person. While not becoming a cancer is what a "normal" person should do (btw, most pro athletes are not normal) Brady speaks highly of the positive role Bledsoe played in guiding him to be a pro as a youngster and when Brady went down in a must-win game, Bledsoe QB'ed the TEAM to a win. Drew Bledsoe is a real teamer and a nice guy from all outside signs. However, his package of skills and limitations simply do not fit the Bills right now and he should not have been resigned.

I assume we save about a million or little less if we cut him after June 1st 2005 and still get the "benfit" of having him not weigh down our play next year, but distribute the cap hit over a couple of seasons. I know some folks want the "pleasure" of doing him in right now or immediately after the season, but dead space is dead space and I would rather compete better right away than take our medicine in one dose and be less able next year.

I certainly don't expect to win any arguments on the internet (or in real life either where I'm pretty used from growing up as a boy who thought the Democrats were a stinky party in Dick Daley's Chicago where there were 44 Dems, 5 independents and 1 Repub on the 50 member city council, I grew up with folks disagreeing with me so I'm pretty used to it). What I did hope for and have yet to see it is anyone lay out a rational argument (even much shorter than my usual screeds would be fine) and even fact no one has provided even one objective argument beyond their fact free opinions or a couple of anecdotes as to why playing (starting in JPs case) is the ONLY way to get better. Again (AND I'M TYPING SLOWLY THIS TIME). do posters really think that PT is the ONLY way a player can improve their game or is even the first thing all players must do to be come productive? Its true in this league unfortunately that almost all players (RoboQB may prove to be the incredibly rare exception but we'll see) need to study and practice in order to improve. Particularly with two cases, QBs because OCs have made the game so complicated and projects because they have some clear flaws, the first order of action is rarely PT. Somehow from this start where their butts and their brains do most of the work, the Penningtons, Vicks. and even former soccer players turned best in the league at their position like Vanderjagts or found. If the way to "win" this argument is to have few coherent thoughts on your side but merely be driven by a hatred of Drew, fear or desire or whatever to hope Losman can step in and lead us to glory regardless of how his broken bone recovers from play, regardless of whether he has gained a substantial understanding of the pro game and regardless of whether his mechanics or sound or not, I concede I have "lost" this argument (though if there are no fabulous prizes involved the concept of winning or losing is fairly illusory.

I'm definitely impressed as heck with the big plays the ST has produced under his guidance. The punt coverage and Moorman have flourished under him and even Lindell has been consistent when they care to use him for short placekicks. Even if I find his word use inappropriate, the ST results which are the true measure of his work sdespite the word fluff has been great!

We've seen this little nugget of conventional wisdom trotted out a number of times as a part of arguments that Losman should start Sunday. Though this factoid is said as though it worth the obvious truth I think this runs counter to what has really happened in the NFL. Witness Chad Pennington and Michael Vick who saw next to nothing in PT (or less than nothing in Pennington's case as his first start didn't happen until his third year) as rookies and quickly led team's to the playoffs in their first season as fultime starters. An NFL QB MUST play in order to br productive. However, the idea that this is the ONLY thing he can do to become productive and is the ONLY thing he should focus on is simply wrong in my view. I vote no to this in particular in Losman's case because while he must play against NFL level competition to become the QB we want him to be. I strikes me as actually not as near the first thing I want him to do to address the issues he must address to become productive. In fact, the things which Losman will get ONLY from playing in real games, application of the athleticism needed to play against NFL competition and how to lead teammates are two of the issues I worry least about him learning and perfecting as he has demonstrated his athleticism and his leadership brashness in college. Among the key skills I see as essential to a productive NFL QB and the best method of developing a player to acquire them are: 1. Veteran understanding of NFL offenses and defenses- PT is essential in achieving this as the game looks different as I understand it over the center\s back and in games. Yet. tape and the books are the fundamental basis for this and being a good athlete who does not understand the game makes you Billy Joe Hobert. Losman needs PT to perfect this, but has had a wonderful opportunity due to his unfortunate injury to learn this skill from Sam Wyche in the booth which far exceed any ability to learn the basics by playing. Further, to the extent PT is essential preseason and practice against his teamates will give him the chance to learn its lessons against NFL level wompetition while still allowing him to focus most on the part he needs to focus on/ 2. Playing at NFL speed against NFL competition- Again this is a piece best learned through PT, but given his athleticism I think this is a necessary but lesser worry and one done well by him in practice against his teammates (who he now knows can hurt him as well) or in next pre-season so that sitting now will not leave him with no chance to do this before the regular season next year/ 3. Leadership bility- I think this only truly comes through PT, but the confidence in yourself and of your teammates in you ojnly come with success. I think last nights game should be a cautionary tale to those who advocate playing Losman right now that merely throwing him to the wolves really is a bad thing. He should be employed by the Bills in a scenario where his good play can build a winning habit of success and not out of desperation and setting him up to fail. 4. Mechanics- One of the great things about how the Pats have played is that it has re-emphasized players being players who can go both ways rather than the oversystemization and specialization inherent in the NFL. However, it is critical that as Losman develops chemistry with his teammates that he do the same things in the same way basically. The braintrust needs to be assured that his mechanics are sound and consistent. This is best done through repetitive practice. PT is a need for JP. but not the only or first need for him be developed well into a productive NFL QB.

Play him before he is ready and he gets hurt, or he messes up and blows his and everyone's confidence, or he develops ingrained bad habits through bad mechanics. Do you think he should play before he is ready? Do you know something none of the rest of know about his medical condition. his mechanics, or that he is prepared to lead, suceed, or at least be effective despite the failures all rookies have and the good one's learn from? I don't think you have more than wishful hopes on these issues and a misguided "knowledge that because playing is a necessary and essential part of learning to be a productive QB that for some reason it is the ONLY thing you need to focus on to be a productive NFL QB. As best as I can tell the keys for Losman remain: 1. He needs to show that his injury recovers well from the normal NFL pounding/ 2. He needs to demonstrate that he understands the game approaching the level of a ver rather than as a rookie thrown to the wolves/ 3. He needs to have overcome mechanical issues shown in his college highlights BEFORE he can build good chemistry and become a productive pro. Do you have any objective indications on any of these three areas beyond the fantsy wishes of all of Bills fans who want to see him start and suceed yesterday.

I don;t think it should surprise folks at all that Bledsoe is judged to be a better bet than Matthews. If anything. Matthews was a far more likely (and better for JPs development from what I have seen) choice for starting Sunday than Losman. Losman should start when and only when it is the best thing for his development as the Bills QB of the future. There are real uncertainties as to: 1. Good to see he is well enough to play but how will his recovery physically go. 2, Has he absorbed the game well enough to be more than a rookie (an unfair test last night but he showed nothing to say yes. 3. Has he ironed out any mechanical issues so that playing is a positive for his development or does he need to practice more before assuming the reins. The answer to all of these questions could concerivably be yes and if so then you start him, but the probable answer is negative on some or all of these fronts in which case it is best for his development to sit and learn and practice/

The question of whether Bledsoe deserves to sit and its time for JP to start are two different questions. I think anyone who watches football (and a lot whio don't agree that it's time to bench Bledsoe. However, it remains a very open question about the usefulness of starting JP right now rather than the no-brainer it is often presented as being. I certainly have been incessant (though I think whether it is whining or not says more about the reader than the writer) about what I think the factors are that should be a guide to a smart decision about developing our QB of the future which with a 3-6 record and a roadmap from BB as to how to attack out D effectively ,akesthe playoffs all but mathematically impossible. I will incessantly (whine or not) say in response to others incessantly calling for JP to start that the relevant factors are: 1. JP's physical health- Good to see that his injury has healed enough he can play NFL ball, but the only real no-brainer is that if his leg shows even a hint of abnormal swelling or reduction in his range of motion then he should sit and sit tight. Folks may claim to be medical experts because they one time hurt their leg, but if the McGahee situation shows anything, the Bills docs know a lot more than other professionals (not to mention us "couch potatoe" medical experts) about this injury and taking one's time with rehab pays off. 2. JP's intellectual health- Ironically one of the best things to happen to his development was probably the injury IF he used the time to sit in the booth and soak up Sam Wyche's knowledge rather than sitting on the sideline yulling it up and building camaraderie with his teamates. I think JP (and all rookies) need to see plays develop, understand the choices made and why they did or didn't work than build his leadership ability. I think this brash youngster can become a leader if he learns the lessons to be a pro and thi means study. Maybe he has got it, maybe he hasn't. I don't know and I doubt any of the other posters know. There was nothing shown in the unfair to conclusively on play last night to conclude he is a bust OR that he should start. 3. JP's mental health- I use this term mostly to mean his mechanics. JP showed in the highlight tapes from his college days that he has a number of things to work on to improve the mechanics of his game. Unless he suceeds in making these changes having him play will actually likely retard his development as he will be less likely to be successful and less likely to build good chemistry. Maybe he should start but probably not as I see no one laying out any objective evidence that his physical recovery is fine, he has mastered the game, or he has ironed out his mechanics. I hope he has, most rookies have not given this point in their careers and while last night should not be used to give up on him he showed nothing last night that inspires confidence he can perform and develop into our QB of the future. Maybe he will, but there is not enough certainty to rationally say that starting him is the way to do this.

READ MY PHOTONS: I DO NOT THINK WE SHOULD START JP IF HE IS NOT READY, Do you disagree? If you do then that's your right, but it is not in the best interest of the Bills. We cab talk about what ready is (though I think it is fairly obvious but this society seems to ask say a lot that it depends on what you mean by is). 1. JP should play when he is physically ready- Last night it was great to see him in the line-up because this is proof that physically he has healed enough to take NFL punishment, but as with any player recovering from an injury, it is downright irresponsible to name him the starter until one sees and knows how how his injury has responded to taking a normal NFL pounding. Physically it is still a couple of days away from any declaration of him as the starter. If there is any untoward swelling at the site or any decrease in his range of motion (or other objective measure because any athlete will and should say I'm fine put me in coach) he definitely should be sat. 2. JP should play when he is intellectually ready- one of the big differences between a vet and a rookie is that good vets know the playbook backward and forward and can apply it in a manner that helps them and the team. Certainly part of this is only well learned from playing, but another part is acquired and is essential from hitting the books and watching the tapes. Has JP proggressed on this front enough so that he helps himself develop and helps the team practice. I hope so, but no one rational saw any evidence of this in his unfair to measure him by performance last night. I would not condemn and bench him because of it, but I saw no evidence either last night that shows me he helps himself or the team by playing. He should be able to do it easily by sitting and watching this season and simply doing mop up duty this year. However, you should point out to us if you know somerthing the rest of us don't know that indicates he has intellectual contriol of the game at this point so that he is the equal of P. Manning or RoboQB and ahead of Vick and Pennington in their development/ 3. JP should be mentally ready- I use this phrase as a catch-all for his mechancics. It is clear from his highlights and history that he did not develop the proper mechanics at Tulane. To start him if he does not have the proper mechanics wil probably set back his development rather than help it as bad habits will be ingrained in his pro game of throwing off the wrong foot or off-balance if he is running for his life. If Losman still has the mechanical problems he showed in college then the best thing to do for his development is to spend his time in the Ralph Field House throwing the ball and throwing it the same way again under Wyche's eye rather than simply throwing him to the wolves and using the Todd Collins development plan to build his game. I agree start him when he is ready to start and it will help his development, ICE and nobody has given any objective tangible evidence or sense of JP having mastered the intellectual and mental side of the game and none of these doctors have any clue of how he has reponded physically to the normal MFL pounding to credibly assert that he is ready to start on Sunday. I hope he is, but i really doubt this.

I think one of the fallacies in football thinking here is the concept that the ONLY way JP will develop properly is if he plays. It is an essential part of his development and he must play. Hpwever, it is not the only thing he needs (even though I think he is a talented youngster) in order to develop into our QB of the future. He MUST play AND he MUST learn NFL offenses and defenses AND he MUST have the proper mechanics because stuff like throwing off-balance or off the wrong foot worked against college competition, but he will get eaten alive by the Pros. The worse thing is that if he is simply thrown to the dogs as he was last night, he will develop bad habits which set him back as a player and undercut confidence in him. I would not start JP next Sunday because from all I saw in the unreal test of him last night is that playing him is not the next step in developing him as our QB of the future. I know folks are frustrated with Bledsoe, but benching him and starting JP are not the same thing. Matthews will not win for the Bills, but if the team gets better practice in what has already become the 2005 pre-season the nstart him over Bledsoe. This seems to be me to be a much better strategy than throwing JP to the wolves before he has become more than a rookie in terms of understaning NFL reads, offensive stragtegies and beating defenses or before he gets his mechanics down so he maximizes his chances for success. Even before that, it was great to see that JPs injury had healed well enough for him to play, but if he has any untoward swelling of his injured leg or diminishment of his range of motion this week, then sit the boy and let him heal. It does amaze me that fans seem to want to panic or be penny-wise and pound foolish and defintiely start JP whether he is ready to go or not. The answer to the question of this thread is I don't know and I don't think any of the other posters on TSW know for sure either. Guessing is certainly fair game, but based on what we saw from JP under bad or unfair circumstances last night and based on how most rookies perform (do you want to claim that JP is Peyton Manning or Ben RoboQB) I think you sit him and give him mpop-up duty until playing is the best thing for his development. Playing time is something he MUST get, but itis far from the ONLY thing he needs to develop.

TDs job (unfortunately so from my fan perspective) is not only (or maybe mainly) determined by what happens on the field with the team, but also what happens with the business side in terms of dollars and cents. Reports that I see and hear are that the dollar and cents sides of the Bills is going pretty well (almost all games soldout, good relationship with Business Backs the Bills and luxury seat sales doing well, new and good positive working relationship with St. John's Fisher in preseason which enhances the Bills penetration of the regional market.tough negotiator within the confines of the salary cap to acquire folks like Adams and McGahee. oversaw moving ticket sales out of its shoebox era into the late 2oth century. etc). Ralph may want a winner before he dies so that TD failings in building a team may cost him his job, but as money talks and the rest walks in this world of ours, I would not be so sure this failure will lead to us saying bye-bye immediately until these bad teams begin to impact the bottom-line.

The feelings which I had this past off-season were confirmed in that the Bills should have obviously looked for another answer at QB this year rather than resigning Bledsoe, but I think the calls to throw JP Losman to the wolves such as last night strike me as silly. Benching Bledsoe comes to late for this season though he should not be cut until after June 1, 2005 when his dead space on the cap can be distributed over several years. However, the idea of starting Losman before he is ready to properly learn to be an NFL QB and contribute to the team seems foolhardy to me. We have pursued a strategy of QB development of throwing a QB in to start meaningless games before he was ready previously, this QB was Todd Collins. Some will argue that a U Mich QB will never perform in this league (and they would be wrong see Tom Brady) but he certainly will not perform if he is taught to develop losing habits and is thrown to the dogs by fans who want to see Bledsoe killed before JP is ready physically (we need to see how his broken fibula responds to getting game stress), mentally (his reads and communication need to be analyzed to make sure he is developing NFL knowledge and control of the game. and intellectually (he needs to have mechanics that maximize his chances of success because off-blance wrongfoot throws which worked at Tulane will not work in the Pros. Playing in the field is something an NFL QB MUST do to develop, but this is different than saying that he is best developed as our QB of the the future (the future is 2005) by throwing him to the wolves now. On field play is not the ONLY thing Losman needs for his development and we got a taste of that last night with his Bledsoe like play when he was thrown to the wolves. I do not think Shane Matthews can win in this league. However, for now as the Bills passed on signing aa back-up QB capable of winning in this league the question is can he be better at practicing for the 2005 season. I don't know if he can be good, but I find it hard to believe he cannot be a better 2005 pre-season QB than Bledsoe and that it isn't better for JPs development to haver him focus on the mental and intellectual parts of the game first before we worry about him learning (as he must) at NFL speeds and against NFL opponents.

I disagree totally. ON THE FIELD play MUST be one of thing a young QB gets, but it is far from the ONLY wau he needs to develop. JP needs: 1. On the field play- in order to play at NFL speed against NFL opponents and to see the opposing defenses set up in game situations. 2. To watch a lot of tape- in ADDITION to on the field play he will learn to be an NFL QB by bwecoming a student of the game and learning what opposing defense will throw at him and how to exploit it. Some folks are students of the game like Peyton Manning all their life and come in with a good dose of this knowledge. Most players are are not Peyton Manning and need to gain cntrol of the intellectual aspects of the game in conjunction with or before they can contribute and learn on the field. 3. Read and memorize the playbook- same as above. 4. Make sure he has mechanics down- On of the good learning opportunities in yesterday's game was when ESPN focused on Bledsoe's dreadful mechanics when he was throwing flat-footed and how it was impossible for him to throw effective passes that way. NFL Ds are too good for a QB not to use everything in his power to put him in the best position to do his job. Whether it is Bledsoe's flat-footedness or JPs throwing off balance or off the wrong foot as he ran for his life at Tukane, his mechanics need to be perfected before he is thrown to the wolves. I think JP should play, BUT WHEN HE IS READY. For some like Vick it was in mop-p duty his first season, for some like Pennington it was after 5 games or so his second season, for some like Brady it was after Bledsoe got creamed in his second season, for some like Manning and Roethensbergesqyewhatever in Pittsburgh it as right away. JP should merely mop-up until he is ready. Start matthews if he provides better practice for the team than Bledsoe but do not turn JP into Todd Collins.

I trhinking making this the last season Bledsoe is on the payroll is a worse case tan the scenario you describe. Bledsoe should not be cut today, but as a cap casualty after June 1, 2005. This way he does not weigh down the team next year, but his cap hit is distributed over a couple of season. Cut Bledsoe, but not right now. As far as JP, he should be develpoed as our QB of the future as the primary goal (the future starts in 2005). Like Vick he should sse some time his rookie year, but unlike Todd Collins he should not be rushed into start a meaningless game if he is not ready. See how his injury responded to game play, review his reads and assessments and get him ready to perform positively, assess his mechanics and make sure he throws the ball the right way as a habit rather than because he is running for his life. I'm more inclined after yesterday's Bledsoe debacle to give hane matthews a start, not because he can win (I doubt he can) but because he provides better practice for a team whose 2005 pre-season has begun. Statrt JP when he is ready physically and ready mentally but not before. After yesterday's JP performance are folks so certain he is ready to go in either regard?

How is JP healing bone break responding to being game tested? Nobody knows and we won't know for a couple of days. it was great to see him play mop-up tonight because this is a tangible sign that he has healed enough to play and that he has practiced well enough that the football braintrust think his game improves from this mop=up duty. However, this is a long way away from making sure there is no additional noticeable pain from this foray or limitations on his range of motion. Drew was done at the end of last season and its a big part of the reason I advocated no resigning him. However, the pain of watching Drew should not be the driver on whether JP starts or not. What is best for JPs development should be the driver. If watching Bledsoe is that painful for folks then root for a Matthews start. JP will profit from playing the pro game, but the condition of his injury should be the primary driver, an assessment of how good his reads were and whether the best next step for him tis to hit hhe books and tape a little more or see things over Teague's butt should be a key element, and an assessment of whether repetitive throws in practice or running for his life in games is best for his development should be the driver on this decision.