I 90

Same magical healer that cured Evander Holyfield's degenerative heart condition must have got to him. Baby Joe was on that card if I'm not mistaken.

And the ever disappointing T.J. Duckett. A giant OLine deserves a big load part timer.

Brad Cieslak would agree. More linebackers to come. Soprano told me that Coy Wire was up to 247 pounds. Be prepared.

The minute Dockery signed I wondered about Peters (re Ledell Betts). He has enough career ahead of him that he should be happy for the help but did the Bills pay 7 million to their ENTIRE offensive line last year ? Strange days.

Who'da thunk this was possible in December. Great finish to the season (that isn't finished) !

Sorts out the Beer Leagues very well. Love to see what Pro's could do with it.

Radio ? Nice story... Jack Armstrong will be pleased. He (to this day) is astonished by the media's lack of interest in college basketball in Western New York.

Tell Pete that everyone is going to spend "stratospheric" amounts for non pro bowl players at their need positions (Wesley Welker and Drew Bennett ? Good God...). An increased cap, a lot of teams with space and not much talent to spend it on left me prepared to be underwhelmed by the Bills this spring -- the opposite occured.

If she ****s like a panther, it was. And by ****s, I mean plays. It is worth bypassing the rewards of tradedown if you get the player you really, really want. Same goes for SIX or SEVEN MILLION DOLLAR GUARDS. Don't cry for poor Mr. Diehlman

They could draft TWO. It looks to be the "signature" position for these new look Bills.

Coherent expression and accurate spelling are both very entertaining. As are Marv Levy, game shows and huffing solvents. Don't fight your better instincts.

Absolutely. As Langston himself put it " hold fast to your dreams, for if dreams die life is a broken winged bird that cannot fly. ". Or was that Langston Hughes ? I get the two mixed up.

The posturing was for us -- I'm not sure Willis pays much attention. We now know that everybody knows that he is on the block and that the Bill's will take the best possible deal for him. If its a third, its a third. The market is what it is.

The large and disappointing T. J. Duckett.

Yup. Even if Walker is a dog with fleas, he is coming to a team that made Terrence Pennington look like an NFL right tackle. Who imagined that to be possible ? In big, young, and overpaid, we trust.

Remarkable signings. A huge, young (and very well paid) offensive line pleases me. If its a case of "pick your poison" I'll try this one. And 18 million guaranteed ? Are agents are playing ball on structure these days ? The simple signing bonus plus contract formula looks to be on the way out.

This is the issue. Teams arrive; they are not built. Contract structure and the shortness of careers means that no stone can be left unturned in any year. Players can't be told that future years will be better than the current one -- they don't wan't to hear it. An artificial restriction on spending sends the wrong message. Management must be on the same page as players (who want to win now).

Was that typical Waltrip commentary ? A lot of jabbering about how guys were happy to be top 5 and would be happy to see Martin win ? Followed by more replays of the crash behind the winner than of the incredibly close finish ? I don't think I can get on board with Nascar on TV (though it makes for good reading).

Even the best case doesn't inspire confidence. At some point Ralph will be forced to spend NFL money (if he likes Losman, Evans and Mcgahee) so why not do it now with cap room advantage on 27 or so teams. It sends an odd message to players and agents (and fans). Continually staying out of cap trouble and winning has to be a tough act.

O.K. , it is possible to spend "cash to cap" up to the max using last year's scheme -- by adding 8 or 9 mediocrities or questionables who don't require large signing bonuses. Even if we wanted such leftovers, I am not sure that we have room for them all. It would take a freakish fantasy footballer mentality to make the numbers come out. Adding the few "desireable" players (most of the NFL 's plan) and their bonuses puts the Bills into the artificial cashtocapworld. They must be working from some real NFL cap number already -- 109 million doesn't seem remotely possible.

He may be saying that he won't spend money in hand on players, let alone go hand in pocket. That he won't spend what his partners/competitors are spending.

Creative ? If the Bills actual cap number comes in around the enforced minimum it leaves us with a 7-9 team playing with a handicap. More luck than creativity would be required. Does this year become a positioning year, a placeholder ? That would dangerously creative. Ralph has been a traditional NFL spender in the past and will be in the future, I assume. Packing in 2007 (because the free agent class doesn't inspire ?) is a risk for one of the least successful teams of this decade.

Thanks to all for the Ralph poverty update and its varied nuances. Is it really his intention to make his team play by a separate set of rules ? I understand that Chris Brown's original explanation of adding in signing bonuses to reach a "cash to cap" number is nonsensical if one wants to reach a true NFL cap number. The Joe F modification, amortizing bonuses, (tiering them at least in the mind of One Bills Drive) gives one hope but still leaves us with a true cap number. And that number must be at least 93 million. Who is this "cash to cap" song and dance for ? Is it a gutless way of saying "we will spend the absolute minimum using our own peculiar scheme" ? Is this how the Bengals and Cardinals use to sell it ? Forget what it says to fans and ticket buyers and think what it might mean to players and agents. Differences in cap space are a design to redistribute talent and foster parity -- "cash to cap" posturing negates it.

Please don't. I hope the purpose was to lower free agent expectations while inspiring confidence in the Wilson-Levy fundemental and workmanlike (cheapass) plan. It makes sense if the all the unusual caproom that exists for so many teams leads to big prices for those players lucky enough to be available. Overbidding on mediocrity wouldn't be step forward. Is mediocrity on the cheap a better plan ? Up to season ticket holders, I guess.

Wow... at least the team hasn't gone with a "we're going in a different direction" quote. There is but one from 14-2. And are the Spanos the logical types ? Martz or Green are no more finishers than a goofball move like, oh say, Ditka or the reavailable Bobby Ross. Do they let Smith hand the thing over to Ted Cottrell ? What a mess.