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If that is indeed the case, what did he do...watch video of every single snap for each QB? Highly doubtful. Anbody know if Elias provides this kind of detail?

Agreed. Can anyone tell me the data source this guy is using? I read the article quickly, but didn't see any documentation to go with the stats.

Spending under the cap has nothing to do with cash flow. The cap is just a budget concept, unrelated to revenue streams. Cash flow from "top line" revenue sources (think PSLs, suite leases, naming rights, corporate sponsorships, etc.) is often coming in faster/sooner than payroll and operating expenses go out (i.e., game checks are paid in 1/16 increments starting in September). It's a timing thing. Say Jerry Jones gets Coke or Nike to pay him $20 million a year, payable on January 1. This gives him a big advantage when it comes time to write a check in April for a FA or structure a contract with front loaded money. He can essentially draw funds from his cash account to pay this expense (say a $10 million signing bonus), rather than having to dip into money from other sources (his personal wealth, other business ventures, a bank loan, etc.). If Ralph wants to match the $10 million bonus, he most likely can't do it from cash flow since the Bills revenue stream is tied more heavily to ticket sales--that might not be collected until July or later. Jones might have significantly higher expenses/stadium debt than Ralph but if he times his obligations correctly, it can almost be like a ponzi scheme as long as the revenue machine continues to run smoothly (think Bernie Madoff before his bubble burst). The real mystery to me is how Jones and Snyder continue to fumble this competitive edge vs. well run small market teams like the Steelers and Pack. Fans of the 'Boys and 'Skins should be more livid about their performance over the past decade than we are of the Bills ineptitude. On the other hand, we should take heart from the success of the Pittsburgh and Green Bay organization's ability to capitalize on the draft to continually replenish the talent pool. Hopefully, with Buddy and his "football people," we're moving closer to this ideal.

Who's "them?" Revenue/cash flow is the great un-equalizer when it comes to "investing" in an NFL team. The differential between the Cowboys/Skins and Bills/Lions is huge, giving those teams a major advantage when dangling signing bonus money in front of FAs or front loading contracts. They can write a check from petty cash, rather than dipping into the owners' pocket. http://www.forbes.com/lists/2010/30/football-valuations-10_NFL-Team-Valuations_Revenue.html Cash flow is a much more important metric than operating income, as any Goldman Sachs banker will tell you. Jerry Jones and Wonder Boy Snyder realized this long ago...causing the Pete Rozelle NFL model to become less and less relevant with each passing season. If it wasn't for the Toronto deal, the Bills revenue ranking would probably be among the bottom-5 franchises. A smart front office can help compensate for that, but that's been a scarce commodity at OBD since John Butler left. That's on Ralph, but the cluster fluk that TD left behind is still being felt.

....why the ignore user feature no longer works for me. I've asked this a couple of times now, but no one's given me any concrete ideas. I use three different laptops, so it doesn't seem likely to be a settings issue.

Relax, PTR...the comments section of the Snoose is just an addendum to the "funny pages." It beats Garfield all to hell and provides a welcome laugh, regardless of subject.

Among the largest 100 metros, only seven lost population from 2000 to 2010 (Buffalo-Niagara Falls was 6th worst): http://www.gnocdc.org/JobsPopulationAndHousing/OtherMetroGraph.png The fact that Pittsburgh, Cincinnatti, Cleveland and Detroit--despite their economic woes--are 2-4 times larger than the Buffalo metro area is surely an advantage. Rochester and Southern Ontario help even the field, but there's no question that this region is hurting more (in terms of filling a 72,000 seat stadium) than any other NFL market but New Orleans. Metro area population: Detroit---4.4 million Pittsburgh---2.3 million Cincinnati---2.2 million Cleveland---2.1 million Buffalo+Rochester---2.1 million Buffalo---1.1 million

Your buddy needs to learn to google...

Yeah, but mine aren't minimized any more...they're visable in all their 'glory' If any mods (Scott?) would like to chime in, I'd appreciate it.

Not working on my PCs. Can't figure it out...was fine two days ago.

OT: could someone tell me why the "ignore user" feature has been turned off?

Yes, that was my though after reading this thread...

I wouldn't go that far yet. There's a lot more to being GM than player personnel (as John Butler, RIP, would tell you). One step at a time, Padawan... Best part of the Bills' press release, IMO: "Under the direction of Nix, the Bills are continuing to re-evaluate and reorganize the personnel department."

The Pro Bowl is a popularity and an "I've heard of him!" contest (as a highly average former Bills LOT has proven in recent years). With Bruce on the otherside making it virtually every year, that worked against Hansen's PB chances as well. It's easy to assume Phil was just a "nice player" who benefited from the talent around him. That assumption is simply wrong, IMO... It wasn't a minor...and you've got the wrong hole.

or "manage your ignored users"...

Probably led by Luck...

Agreed. A well deserved honor for one of the best at his position to ever play for--and also represent off the field--the Bills. Very happy about this pick.

I think he was referring to people the Steelers actually regretted losing...

I look at Whaley as GM-in-training, rather than head college scout. Most of his player personnel experience was on the pro rather than college side. The head college guy needs a ton of experience, plus big time networking relationships with college HCs, which is what made Nix (and John Butler) so effective. I think Whaley has bigger ambitions than that. That BN article was from August 2010...

Agreed. The pre-draft preparation and grading were all on TM and his scouts. So the old addage about "garbage in yielding garbage out" comes to mind. Could this be Tom's replacement?

It's a shame people don't read the damn newspaper anymore: The South is known for its abundance of football talent. The Bills took three players each from the Southeastern Conference and Atlantic Coast Conference, two of the most talent-rich leagues in the country. The last five BCS national championships have been won by SEC schools. Bills General Manager Buddy Nix said where the players they drafted came from was just a coincidence. "I do think that's where you find the most of them," he said. "Guys that play in big games, they don't get shook when they have to [play]." More things you didn't know: Nearly 100 scouts attend North Carolina pro day...

Walt's 2010 Mock Draft: #9.) Buffalo Bills: Dan Williams, NT, Tennessee Why the Bills will draft Jimmy Clausen: - They would be crazy not to. It's the right move, and obtaining Clausen would mean that they'd become playoff contenders by 2011. There are people out there, including Mel Kiper, who believe that Clausen is the top quarterback in this class. Matt and I both agree. If you haven't seen it, here's the Jimmy Clausen vs. Sam Bradford: Tale of the Tape, which dissects the two signal-callers looking at 21 different attributes. - New Regimes Mean New Quarterbacks. - General manager Buddy Nix was with the Chargers when they drafted Philip Rivers. He seemingly knows what he's doing. Why the Bills won't draft Jimmy Clausen: - Kiper, who is Clausen's greatest supporter, doesn't think Buffalo will take him. - Clausen doesn't fit Chan Gailey's offense. Some, including myself, may question how good Gailey's offense might be if he can't work with the most pro-ready junior quarterback to come into the NFL in the past 15 years, but the fact remains that Gailey's the coach. By the way, here's a funny quote from a Georgia Tech fan talking about Gailey that Wraith posted in his signature: "As a Georgia Tech student during that rather unfortunate era... I'm really, really sorry Buffalo fans. No team deserves that fate. Look forward to a lot of draws on 3rd and 8 and punts from the opponent's 33-yard-line. I honestly do not think I’ve ever seen a worse coach in my history of watching football. I cannot think of a single redeeming coaching attribute the man has." - Owner Ralph Wilson would rather not spend tons of money required to pay a top-10 quarterback. - The Bills screw up most of the time, and history appears to be repeating itself. It's really a shame because this is Buffalo's most important draft selection since it took Bruce Smith first overall in 1985. With Clausen, the Bills could finally escape NFL purgatory. If they pass on him, they'll continue to pick in the top 12. Good luck, Bills fans. At any rate, Dan Williams will be the pick if the top three tackles are off the board. Buffalo's new 3-4 defense has a complete void at nose tackle. B.J. Raji was chosen with the ninth pick last year, so this choice is in Williams' range. 2010 NFL Draft Day - Final Thoughts: I really hope I'm wrong about this pick - I'd love it if the Bills took Jimmy Clausen so they could finally turn things around. But something tells me they won't. Dan Williams it is.

Gotta love this line from his own bio: "I was in way over my head and didn't understand the material." Apparently, nothing's changed....

...that anyone pays attention to what this rinky dink, bargain basement publication says. Anyone with a DVR and a laptop can do the 'Mel Kiper' thingy, which these folks demonstrate year after year.

Exhibit 1 in this well-written post...