RuntheDamnBall

I think every one of these guys has a 50/50 shot at this point, mostly due to contract restructuring and Wilson's role on ST's and in the locker room. And FJax is not pricey for a capable #2 with a great history, who just needs to heal up. I don't think we'll ever see him be what he was the past few years, but all they need him to be is a solid part of the rotation. If they did somehow get Tavon Austin or a real power runner, they could have a formidable three-headed monster like the Giants have had.

RJ wins that one, unless he is headed to jail in a worse place than Montana.

Two sentences is pretty far from tortured, but I digress. The media's response to this mess is generated in part by the fact that the media helped build up the myth. They got fooled; Deadspin, spurred by bloggers, did some real reporting legwork on it; that is still inconclusive but in some ways damning; Notre Dame responded either too quickly or far too late; Te'o appears to be changing stories. Give people a thread to chase in a story and they are going to pull the whole damn thing apart. If you own up to the mistakes and come out with clarity quickly, they are going to be pretty quick to call off the dogs with the next news cycle, and the people who continue to pursue it are the ones who end up looking silly.

If Te'o had attended some awareness events, we might not be having this discussion.

Please don't take this in that direction, because a composite character is something that often happens in autobiography, especially to protect private relationships. That was acknowledged (too late, admittedly), and it happens all the time. This is not at all the same thing. There is no writer and no storytelling going on here. Either this person exists, and they along with a cast of others cruelly misled a very dumb man, or Te'o calculated it to help fabricate a rise to football stardom - or to hide something. It's a story because something is being deliberately hidden by someone, there are cases of mistaken or veiled identity, and there are many, many stories that don't seem to check out or correspond with one another. The institution of Notre Dame has stupidly stepped in and made it more of a story, when for all intents and purposes they are finished with their obligation to him as regards football, and no laws seems to have been broken. Unless he wants to charge for fraud to win back mobile plan minutes, I don't see it.

Geno. Ridiculously accurate, and very good TD/INT ratio. That and his arm strength with comparable mobility to Fitz are why I want him.

I forgot about Troup and Spencer would definitely be on the bubble. Will be interesting to see if he can come back from injury. Pettine should be a guy who has the book on everyone. My guess is he is going to love Kyle Williams if he's healthy, and hopefully put Mario in different places all the time to create mismatches.

Choice is a UFA. So is Ruvell Martin, who shouldn't be back, and Thigpen. I think most of the other UFAs are worth attempting to sign with T. Jackson a wild-card depending on Fitz's status and how many QBs are acquired/drafted. Excluding the guys that are truly JAGs, I think these players should definitely fear for their jobs: George Wilson Kirk Morrison Chris White Aaron Williams Kelvin Sheppard Fitz Barnett Easley Kelsay McGee I think realistically you can't upgrade on all these guys, so A. Williams and Sheppard get the benefit of the youth vote, and Easley could get the chance he's never really gotten. Barnett is a good vet leader but tread is wearing thin. It would be foolish to say goodbye to all of them if they're under contract, but I think you're going to see very little playing of favorites or judging guys on reputation except for the few difference makers like Spiller.

I know you're kind of joking about the LBs, but I like this very, very much. I know a lot of people would complain that Austin is smurfy, but he is really an insane playmaker, and bringing a combo with a rapport and familiarity like that would be dynamite. Sometimes you don't need size -- if you look at the running style of guys like Arian Foster or Ray Rice, or Holliday who just took two to the house for the Broncos last weekend, you can see that sneaking under the tackle can be just as effective as powering through it. I would take this draft, except I'd try to grab one of the best available TEs and possibly a RB in there. We'll take her with that pick that we don't have that we traded to Seattle.

Wow, this guy could have had it all with even a mediocre career and some good people guiding him, and he didn't just throw it away, he set fire to it. Leaf has obviously been the butt of everyone's jokes and the walking example of what not to do with a top pick in the NFL draft for a long time, but really, his story is just sad. I hope he finds the healing and help he needs somewhere, if he is not too far gone already.

I would stay away from the kid in the first round. First impressions do matter and it will be telling what this team does with its first hand. I would not reward a guy who is either as calculating or as dumb as they come with first round salary, expectations, and status. While the way the media frame things can be unfair, NE does have a winning institution built that a guy like that can slot into. Te'o is not Aaron Maybin, and he is said to be a high character guy, but he has lost the benefit of the doubt. Going somewhere where he'll be humbled is a good bet.

Let's say this: if the Bills draft him they will be a laughingstock, if the Raiders draft him it will be a predictable gamble, and if the Patriots draft him it will be a smart steal.

As long as he helps make the defense F**king hostile, I don't care where he's from.

I think your take on this is plausible, but you have to understand that that lie puts all credibility in question.

Nobody else besides Big Bird sees or talks to Mr. Snuffleupagus.

Uh, what? They have? They said they want to implement an analytics department. Not the same thing. Jesus, people misinterpret or read whatever they want into what is said. Now, a "Moneyball" approach, as misunderstood as it is, would value additional picks as a way to build a team, but in baseball it is a far different animal, where at least initially the MO was to draft lower-ceiling, closer-to-MLB-ready prospects viewed as surer things and slightly undervalued. They would also be guaranteed signs. There are no minor leagues in football, though an equivalent might be to shy away from draft one-year-wonders or underclassmen. I think that's already the way a number of teams operate, and I think it has little to do with moneyball.

First off, yours is a tragic story and it must remain painful to endure. I'm so sorry for your loss. And I do think the post you're responding to is far off in terms of the grief management questions. But for me those questions are just a little more fuel on the fire. I think what people are more baffled by here are the declarations that he had met this girl, that she was the most beautiful girl he had ever seen, that they talked on the phone for hours... these are things that are so elaborate that they suggest his being in on it. I know there are plenty of long distance relationships, but in this day and age for there to be no actual face time despite all the capabilities, seems extremely odd. And the backtracking on having seen her, after all the proclamations to the contrary, smells fishy.

In round 3 or lower in round 2, after taking a QB, sure.

It's cool that Pantera going to be on the Bills.

Wait till that girl I met at camp hears about this.

Why? Ryan Leaf was a 2+ year starter at Washington State, and in his best season his best completion % was 55.4. He had 34 TDs to 11 INTs in his best season. Geno Smith started for most of 3 seasons at WVU, and his completion % improved from 64.8, to 65.8, to 71.2%. He had 42TDs to 6 INTs this season. Please substantiate your feelings. I am not discounting your opinion, but I'd like to understand it.

I hate Brady, but damn if you can't respect him on some levels. If he weren't so whiny and cocky on the field, I'd even call him admirable.

Why?

Yup. Honestly, I hate the prospect of investing in Collin Klein as an NFL QB, but here's a kid for whom there is fairly universal agreement that he is not going to be an NFL QB. He does not have the mania associated with Tebow surrounding him. He could be a versatile weapon if he's there with a 5th round pick, and I would take him, after taking another QB earlier. I'm thinking Mike Alstott with the ability to run some creative plays that offer a short passing option threat.