Bills Fan in MD

The Bills' status is Buffalo is secure, the roster is a competent QB away from being a legitimate Super Bowl threat, we have one of the most enjoyable coaches in the league, and the excitement around the team is palpable. JBJ still has no viable path to becoming an NFL owner, despite the fact that he's made clear that it's his dream, and there really is no foreseeable way that things will get any easier for him. At this point, it's really hard to "hate" him. Happy, however, to point and laugh. . .

If it was Gronk, everyone would start throwing meat at each other and the only controversy would be what cute name to call it (since "Gronking" is taken).

https://twitter.com/buffalobills/status/604003741004472320 Really loving the way Rex has embraced everything about being in Buffalo.

So does that mean it's an automatic four games if he violates the program again, or is it more?

That's some seriously insightful analysis. Did ESPN stick it behind the Insider pay wall?

Putting aside what any of us thinks about this draft class, does anyone else see this as basically part of one big scam? Kiper is paid by ESPN to come up with a highly subjective ranking of draft prospects -- which you can only really see in detail if you decide to pay for access to Insider -- and then "grades" teams based on whether or not they selected players using the same evaluations that HE provided. Thus, if you disagree with his preliminary analysis, you of course do poorly in his grading. And of course, that post-draft analysis also gets stuck behind the paywall. . .

Here's a quote from his video "plea" to teams: "To the NFL teams out there, obviously there have been a lot of bad decisions made in the past, . . ." I'm usually not one to harp on bad grammar, but the use of passive voice is pretty striking. That quote doesn't really sound like a guy ready to take responsibility for his actions in that he's basically saying "stuff happens."

If this isn't a smokescreen, and it very well may be, it is basically all about Chip Kelly trying to prove that anyone can succeed in his system, so long as they have the willingness and intelligence to adapt to it.

The more I read and think about it, it's crazy that the defense admitted that he was present for the crime. To believe that he was there, but didn't participate in any way defies common sense. AH was the star athlete with millions of dollars. Everything I've seen indicates that he was the leader among his group of friends, the "alpha dog" or whatever you want to call it. He gave the instructions, paid for everything, and directed where they went and when. For him to claim that he was just an innocent bystander (who subsequently took everyone back to his house and then smashed his own security tapes and cell phone) is just plan crazy.

4 and 4, with 8 ties.

The one thing that has me doubting this is the fact that it's not done. Unless Chip is asking for a first or second, the Browns would never let him hang up the phone before agreeing to a deal that would not only get them the QB they want, but also jettison a player they are desperate to move on from. Seriously, if this trade happens, champagne will be flowing at Browns HQ.

I've said this before and I'll say it again, Chip Kelly is just Steve Spurrier with a stronger work ethic. Living in the DC area, people just assume that Spurrier failed because he was lazy, spent too much time on the golf course, etc. In reality, though, it was all about proving that his "system" worked. Spurrier never referred to players by name -- only by position. To him, players were all interchangeable, with the most important thing being their understanding of (and willingness to abide by) what Spurrier wanted to do. Danny Wuerffel is the perfect example of this. I see Kelly in exactly the same way. He's obviously had more success than Spurrier, but I ultimately chalk that up to Kelly (a) having a better team from Day One and (b) being willing to put in the time to succeed. At the end of the day, however, you need really good players to succeed and I assume that Chip Kelly will have to learn that the hard way. All that being said, Shady really should just move on.

Crabtree's not worth even discussing. He wants to be paid like a #1 receiver.

Definitely agree. I'm not sure I "believe in EJ" yet, but I really WANT to. Seems like a really good kid who totally gets it.

YES! You just made my morning

I'm not happy with the jean shorts Whaley was wearing during his interview on NFL Network that aired last night. Anyone else catch it? That said, love everything that he said.

The Bon Jovi dream lives!!!

Anyone else have a problem with this whole "victim" thing he's got going, essentially accusing the Vikings of betraying him for not being more supportive? Seriously, there's absolutely no recognition on his part that he may actually have done something wrong.

Post-Clay Hangover

^^^^THIS

People have been writing columns for the last ten or so offseasons declaring that "Team X" is best positioned to knock off the Pats, and every single one of them has been wrong. At some point, it will happen -- and I very much think that what the Bills have been doing this year gives them as good a chance as anyone -- but generally have a hard time putting much weight in these lame opinion pieces (LaCanfora is particularly bad).

I'm not so sure Clay wouldn't have comparable numbers if he had Peyton Manning throwing him the ball for the past three years.

Or one about how long the Dolphins will take to announce a decision. To me, it's a lock that they make the Bills wait every second possible before announcing a decision. In fact, and assuming they don't match, do they even have to do anything? I realize that it would probably be good form to put out a statement announcing they don't intend to match (and thanking Clay for his time in Miami), but is that technically required?

Wait, what? You're telling me that the 18 year search for a QB (absent a few false glimmers of hope over the years) was for nothing, and all they had to do was to clear out some cap room and "want" to acquire a decent QB????

You're probably being generous. That's a terrible fan base.