Offside Number 76

Not if McCargo was available for "trade value" 500.

It's not a question of who the Bills picked but rather what they spent. The folks complaining about the McCargo pick aren't stating that he's a bad player or a bad fit, but that maybe the Bills didn't need to trade the 3rd-round pick to move up to take him. If New England had spent a No. 1 pick on Brady, knowing then what we knew THEN, they would have overpaid because Brady would have been available in later rounds.

In terms of when he was selected as opposed to when he was predicted to be selected? They probably did. That's the only issue here.

No. They dealt their 3rd to use their 2nd earlier.

That definitely would have been more apt, but you can't expect much out of espn.com these days.

I'm not going to say that ESPN is the last word on football, but they used the same metaphor to describe each Bills pick: 8(8) Buffalo Donte Whitner S OHIO STATE With Lawyer Milloy in Atlanta and Troy Vincent clearly on the downside of his career, Buffalo has qeustions at safety. However, it has far grater needs at offensive tackle and defensive tackle. Taking Whitner is a one of the biggest reaches we have seen. 26(26) Buffalo (from Chicago) John McCargo DT NORTH CAROLINA ST Some picks are more difficult to explain than others. It's true that defensive tackle is one of the Bills' needs, but taking McCargo here is one of the biggest reaches we've seen in years. Here's the link.

Someone want to explain this move to me?

Plummer plus their 1st, 2d and a later pick?

Broncos are interested in a trade?

Seriously. At least the Bills fired Donohoe. Millen is still screwing up that team with his offseason moves. Hopefully they can take another receiver at No. 9.

This guy is no Edison, Tesla, Duryea, or Ford. He's a Niagara Gazette writer citing an 18-yr-old QB at a school no one outside of Saint Paul ever has heard of. I wouldn't count on him for the great leap forward.

A second league might not care about the gambling connection, but don't think it wouldn't be a big gambling draw. Sports books take action on WNBA, minor league cricket, and probably freaking ice fishing. That said: (1) The Bills will be just fine, and (2) no second league will be viable, as you stated.

I'm also sure, but you missed the point. No surprise.

Do we count his playing days at Coe College as well?

Nope. Detroit is obligated to take a receiver. Them's the rules.

What are the others lacking that Marv has? Four straight conference titles.

/nm or /belinda, take your pick.

Don't forget, that was a MAC quarterback with the Lombardi trophy tonight. C'mon Turner Gill!

If they can put the computerized yellow line across the field on TV, they also can make the same line available to refs and fans at the game--think of a giant laser level. It's just a question of whether the league wants to do it. Right now, looks like no.

How was this even a question? I had trouble choosing between Pats-Broncs and Sens-Oilers. Choosing the Sabres game was a no-brainer.

What a game. In fact, what a BCS series. The ONLY thing the NFL has on college football is a legit playoff system / champ determination (remember, USC didn't win the BCS two years ago; LSU did). I think major D-I ball is much more exciting than pro ball right now, which seems tepid in comparison. Aspects of college ball that I would love to see in the pro game: --One foot inbounds for a reception. --15-yard max for pass interference. --More plays, fewer TV timeouts. --The streamlined, nearly-always-correct replay review system. --Guaranteed posession OT. --Marching bands. --The Texas cheerleaders. Anyway, here's to a great Bills '06. And to the chance that Levy and Mogilny could return to Buffalo in the same week (see the Sabres boards)!

I'm with you. The mistake was not letting Bledoe go--obviously, he wouldn't succeed in this system, with this o-line. The mistake was the concept that the QB was the problem. Manning (either), Montana, Marino, Unitas, even Saint Jim would play poorly right now with this team. The Losman draft pick--and I don't mind JP--would have been better spent on another position.

Drew is a Bills alum. If we can talk about Kelly, or Thomas, or Smith, Reed, Simpson, or Gilchrist, we can talk about Bledsoe. It's especially appropriate BECAUSE it's a Bills forum.

Glad you all enjoyed it. Mike's answers were: D, B, D, C, D, and D. The correct answers are: A, A, A, A, A (partial credit for C), and A. Mike failed.

Reflecting on the week's events, I came up with the following general knowledge exam. Pit your wits against Mike's and see how well you do! AMERICAN HISTORY: When confronted with the Teapot Dome scandal, President Harding: a) Died in office. b) Suspended his Secretary of the Interior for one week. c) Suspended his Secretary of the Interior for one week, after first checking with Mrs. Harding. d) Suspended Eric Moulds, after first checking with Mrs. Harding. MATHEMATICS: 23-3= a) 20. b) An opportunity for the Dolphins to come back. LITERATURE: A central theme of Faulkner’s The Sound and the Fury is: a) The decline of the postbellum South. b) The decline of the post-Polian Buffalo Bills. c) One family’s struggle to continue its legacy. d) One football team’s struggle to win without an offensive line. RELIGION: In Christianity, the concept of evil is personified by: a) Satan, the Prince of Darkness. b) Miroslav Satan, the Prince of Long Island. c) Eric Moulds. d) Sage Rosenfels, but really he’s controlled by Eric Moulds. WORLD HISTORY: When the Germans invaded Belgium at the start of World War I, they: a) Ran a sweep towards the English Channel, then cut inside towards Paris. b) Benched their starting general for several weeks early in the campaign. c) Stuck to their plan in the face of surprisingly fierce Belgian opposition. d) Abandoned their game plan on the second day of the invasion and instead ran up the middle on 3d and 23, while passing when they had a first down just three yards outside of Brussels. SCIENCE: Darwin’s Theory of Evolution holds that: a) Stronger species with sound survival strategies will outlive and overpower smaller, weaker species with poor survival strategies. b) Kansas is exactly 6,000 years old. c) A weaker football team with no discernible gameplan should suspend Eric Moulds. d) A football team that is not winning games should continually employ the same makeshift strategies and trick plays, and eventually, the game will evolve to accommodate them.