Albany,n.y.

A good post, just a couple of corrections. Terrance McGee was picked in the 2003 draft (1st of 2 round 4 selections), same year as McGahee. Polian went 4-12, 7-8 (6-6 in real games), and 12-4 his 1st 3 years. It also didn't hurt him to inherit Jim Kelly, Bruce Smith, and Andre Reed, although he might have had a hand in the Smith & Reed selections before he was GM.

Tom Brady won the Super Bowl with as much experience as JP going into his 2nd season Daunte Culpepper had a good 2nd season with basically the same experience as JP. It can be done. The biggest problem I've seen is JP is throwing like Steve Blass did when he completely lost home plate with the Pirates. A QB who is inaccurate as often as JP has been can not play very long in the NFL. JP has about another 10 weeks before it is put up or shut up time. Right now he's still in the honeymoon stage, but the bride is about to put him out on the couch in the honeymoon suite unless he starts performing.

I find it amazing that 1)A player who is in the program can demand a trade while he's under contract and expect the team to be able to trade him. 2) That TD was able to hold out for a 3rd for a player with 1 year left on his contract and was 1 hit of ? away from a 4 game suspension 3) That 2 teams would actually go head to head in bidding for said player 4) That the winning bidder would be stupid enough to give up the 3rd unconditionally, knowing Henry was 1 strike away from suspension. 5) Tennessee would actually extend his contract*** *** This does explain why Henry signed a contract that seemed below market (especially when compared with Jordan's Raider deal) for a player of his accomplishments. Actually, the only one who came out of this not looking like a total idiot is Donahoe. Get on his case for other transactions, but this one was definitely a steal. PS: The suspension should shut up "The Coach", who on his 1st postgame show was highly critical of TD for trading TH & leaving the Bills with Shaud Williams as their backup RB.

I thought it was leading up to: JP was so depressed last night he tried to throw himself off the Peace Bridge, lucky for him, he was as accurate as he was with his throws at the Ralph, finally gave up & walked home.

The Coach on WHAM was pretty good. Even the callers & Coach concluded they have to keep Losman in there.

Because I have to assume they're Bills fans & our defense is going to make JP's game in Tampa look good compared to Schaub's game in Buffalo. Anyone who has claimed JP is a rookie has to admit, Schaub is in the same boat-and add to that he's spent all his time playing 2nd fiddle to Vick, with Atlanta never giving him much time with the 1st unit. He's started 1 NFL game, JP has started twice as many. http://www.nfl.com/players/playerpage/493050

Bill Parcells does this all the time & he's a Hall Of Fame coach. If you play subpar, the coach's job is to let you know it. It's a great way to motivate your players if it's done correctly & the players respect you. A guy like Mularkey can do this because he's played in the NFL & the guys know he knows what it's like to play in the NFL and respect him for it. Someone like Gregg Williams might have a tougher time pulling it off, but Mularkey has nothing to worry about in calling out his players.

Getting back to the point, VA's basic argument that if JP busts we're in trouble and waste 3 years is pretty accurate. Imagine if TD had succeeded in his original plan on draft day-trading ahead of the Steelers & drafting Roethlisberger. There would be no what if arguments on today's board. I hope we aren't the Jets of the 90's who tried frantically to trade up & draft Favre, but settled for Browning Nagle. Only time will tell if JP is the answer or not. It looks pretty definite that Carr & Harrington were major reaches at picks 1 & 3 because they were the only QBs (I don't include Ramsey) in a draft that may turn out to be one of the worst for QBs. However, I stick by my statement that a QB at pick 22 is not as big a risk, salary cap wise as a 1 or 3 in the whole draft. But, any 1st round QB who doesn't work out is a disaster for the team. Houston, Detroit, & Washington have been paying the price since 2002. I hope JP hits it big, because if he doesn't were doomed, short term. I think he's more on the Todd Collins schedule where if he doesn't show improvement throughout this season, he's 1 year & done as a starter. One of the main reasons we got Holcomb was insurance in case JP doesn't make it. I hope we never have to cash in on that "policy", but it is there if we need it. Here are some excerpts from what I thought before the 2004 draft on JP, and I still feel the same, except for the Roethlisberger part when I thought Roethlisberger would be a top 4 pick with a huge contract, after that I talked about the Jets & Favre/Nagle, I hope that wasn't prophetic about the Roethlisberger/Losman road TD took. : J.P. Losman is an intriguing prospect due to his arm and athleticism. Scouts vary on him whether he’s the next Brett Favre or the next Cade McNown. Since he will go in the late 1st or early second I’d be willing to take the risk that he’s the next Favre. His busting would be a lot less costly than a team that took Roethlisberger and found him to be a bust. . At least one pick will be for the future because another QB has to be brought in. I just hope that the team doesn’t repeat a Jets mistake of 1991. The Jets loved Brett Favre & came within one pick of getting him in round 2, after desperate attempts to trade up (they had no #1 that year). When Favre was taken by Atlanta, the Jets still had the need for a QB of the future, they took the next QB on their board, Browning Nagle. If the Bills get into the same spot, say they like Losman and they miss him by a pick or 2, I hope they regroup and forget about a QB of the future and just concentrate on other positions.

Somebody has Moulds, Evans, McGahee or some combination of those guys on his fantasy team.

Didn't we once trade a #1 & #4 for a guy who lit it up in preseason every year with Jacksonville & even had a great game one time to start the regular season?

It's a lot easier to handle a bust at the pick JP was taken, cap wise, than a top 3 QB. So even if the worst happens with JP, it's better than either of those two.

If the expansion Texans had not entered the league in 2002, we would have picked 3rd. Either Carr or Harrington would have been there at pick 3, and we would have taken the remaining QB. These guys are in their 4th seasons and neither one of them has shown he can play consistently in the NFL, and they have top 3 contracts.

Can't, death penalty is not currently legal in New York State.

Minnesota will be a better club without Mike Tice. He's not going to last the season if this keeps going on. Good news is Ted Cottrell will probably be the interim coach & could keep the job if the team picks up its play under him. My over/under on Tice is after 4 games, because their bye is in week 5.

Sort of reminded me of Kelly on trips to KC or Pittsburgh during the Super Bowl years.

To quote another coach in our division "You play to win the game". If Tampa had not kicked a field goal due to defensive breakdowns while Holcomb was warming up to come in, we're down 13 & if Holcomb catches fire, 2 TDs WIN THE GAME! It's that simple reason that Holcomb came in. After the FG & Holcomb's 3 & out, chances of winning the game were slim, so he put JP back for more experience.

Everyone seems to be forgetting the circumstances at the time of the game when this stuff took place. Bills were down 16-3, 13 points. 2 TDs win the game. Mularkey had Holcomb warming up to go in when TB had the ball. Holcomb was going in at that point, hopefully to try to pull the game out. When TB drove down the field & kicked the FG to put them up by 16, a tie became a longshot, but Mularkey had already committed to putting Holcomb in. So he puts Holcomb in and we go 3 & out. After that he decides what good does it do to have Holcomb mop up when JP can get some valuable experience. So to sum things up 2 things happened. 1) Mularkey tried to switch to Holcomb in hopes of winning the game, but between the time Mularkey makes that decision & Holcomb going in, the D gives up 3 that basically kills the point of putting Holcomb in. 2) After the series already promised to Holcomb, with the game basically out of reach, Mularkey decides JP needs the work more than Holcomb & puts him back. Nothing wrong with either decision except the D messed up the plan by giving up the final 3.

Crowell was injured last week & didn't play.

Here they are : Euhus Parrish Wilson (George, not Ralph) Gates Sape Geisinger LEONHARD Matthews 3rd QB

They are not broadcasting the pregame show on 103.9 (or 1300). Once I get off the computer to go watch it, I won't get to listen. Don't they know coverage includes pre & post game? Stones were great last night. We were in the 4th row off the floor & when they moved the stage they were practically right in front of us.

I'm listening to the pre-game until around 12:20-12:30, before I head out to watch it, if they announce them on the radio, I'll try to get them all & post it.

nm

Thanks to our local TV station not seeing the light & televising all the road games, I cannot have a ritual. My only ritual on those days is to curse out the decision makers at WRGB, Ch 6, and try to figure out where we'll watch the game.

Thanks for the link, Here is the complaint I sent them, titled "Show In Decline" The show is in serious decline since the days of Len & Nick. You have turned an informative hour into a comedy. In the place of "Where are they now" we are now subject to bad stand up comics making bad jokes. Worse than your new "NFL Comedy Hour" format is the lack of highlights. It seems every time the Buffalo Bills play a good game, you eliminate them from the highlights. I don't understand the producers of the show's decision to show some games and not others. If I'm watching a show called "Inside The NFL" I expect to see a review of EVERY GAME, not just the ones that feature large market teams or fodder for the comedy. Some of us take our football seriously. Your Inside the NFL producers obviously don't. The show has declined to a bad joke. If you want to present a comedy, please rename the show to "Curb Your Enthusiasm About Seeing The NFL Taken Seriously", with permission from Larry David, of course.

Who is Paul Hamilton?