JohnC

Just because you are cantankerous and a curmudgeon that doesn't mean that what you have to say isn't seriously considered. You are one of a number of thoughtful people whose comments, whether I agree with or not, provokes thought. So please don't lose your acidic tongue in expressing your challenging thoughts. Some people can't handle your unvarnished contrarian positions that go against the company. Tough. That is their problem. The primary problem I have with this particular thread is that it has spiraled out of control into personal assaults. Sometimes when one is being personally assaulted it is better not to take the bait and give a retaliatory response. There is nothing positive to be gained when dealing with someone who is simply being combative. If someone is being combative yet thoughtful then it is worth a response. But when someone is simply being combative with no contributing thoughts then what is the point of responding. Getting back to the subject of the Lawson pick I respectfully but strenuously disagree with your position. Yes, I agree that it wasn't an inspiring pick. One of the problems with this lagging organization is that it too often outsmarts itself. Instead of taking a fundamentally sound approach that organizations such as the Steelers and the Ravens take they try to get too creative when it is not necessary. I understand why people disagree with selecting him because of his injury issue. But the bottom line is that he is a talented and versatile lineman who in the end will be a contributor. Nothing wrong with that. More often than not the inspirational approach is the long shot approach that doesn't work out. The safe approach may be more boring but in the long run it will prove to be more productive.

I'm surprised that he still owes a home in Hamburg. Does he ever come back or is it just investment property?

I've really come to appreciate Wade Phillips. Wherever he goes as a DC he done a superb job. He has a preferred scheme but he smartly tweaks it to take advantage of the players he has on hand. He is the epitome of substance over style.

I was listening to WGR and in the discussion regarding Lawson's injury they brought up Rob Gronkowski's draft year. Howard Simon brought up that there were major concerns about Rob Gronkonski because of his back and other injuries. It was pointed out that some teams took him off of their draft boards. He was selected by the Pats in the second round and without a doubt has been instrumental in their historical success. Someday he will be inducted in the HOF. My point is simple and I have repeated it on a number of occasions. If you are going to take a calculated risk then it is worth doing it for a talented player.

Insincerity suits you well!

I appreciate your links and research and posts. My only complaint against you is you constantly beat me to the punch with my finds.

Are you a drinker?

No one is sucking the joy out of anyone else. You can fall in whatever category you want: Optimistic-Pessimistic-Realistic or whatever box you want to create. How you feel is how you feel; how others feel is how others feel. If others have a different attitude from you then so be it. Lamenting how it affects you is an issue that only you can address.

The court made a 2-1 ruling in favor of the league. The union has a right to appeal that decision if it decides to do so. What's wrong with letting the process run out to the end if one of the parties decides to exercise its right to challenge the last ruling as the league did with the first ruling?

You are a provocateur! Carrying a torch into the powder keg storage shed can be hazardous. Where is Beerball? Has the disciplinarian left the premises? It's getting nasty in here. The personal attacks from both sides of the aisle have gotten a little out of hand. Let's lower the thermostat because it is getting too hot here. What the heck. Training camp hasn't even started yet.

I have a different take on the call to WGR. The person (an older person) who had the same type of injury made the point that the surgery is very likely to correct the issue with no lingering problems. I'm well aware that any type of surgery has its risks but the success rate is very high. It must be remembered that everyone was well aware of his shoulder issues. It was not a secret. He played with the injury throughout the year and still played well. And it also has to be remembered that it was known that eventually the shoulder had to be operated on. So it was done sooner rather than later. This isn't a situation where Whaley went rogue and tossed the dice with long shot odds. He knew what his health status was in advance and he had the ability to talk with the medical staff about the procedure and the odds for a successful outcome prior to selecting him. There is no doubt that Whaley would have preferred to have had the surgery done after the season but it didn't work out they way for him. It doesn't matter who you draft. There are no guarantees. If you are going to take a risk on a player then do it for a talented player. That's what he did here.

Each team has their own ranking system. Their rankings are going to be different because their systems on offense and defense are going to stress different talents. The Bills ranked him very high because he was a good scheme fit and because he was versatile. With respect to your highlighted question I respectfully but strenuously disagree with your stance. My position is if you believe that he is going to be a stellar player for you in the long run you make the pick even if you know there is a possible short term delay with him getting on the field. It is better to draft the best talent and develop it. The short term fix at the expense of long term success is a recipe for failure.

Every team in the league knew he had a shoulder issue. And every team knew that that health issue had to be addressed at some later point. Some teams decided to pass and not take him with a high pick, so he fell down to us. Even with the shoulder problems at Clemson he played at a high level in a top tier program. So we know his high rankings were not a fluke. I'm not dismissing the issue that this year he will not get on the field until the second half of the season, and I am also aware that he might not even get on the field this year. But as I have repeatedly stated if you are going to take a risk on a player take it on a highly rated player who has the potential to make an impact some where down the line. The bottom line for me is that if the 19th pick in the draft turns out to be a good player in the not too distant future then it is a good selection no matter if he is idled for a good portion of the season. The mistake that many of the harsh critics of the pick are making is that they are portraying his absence as a devastating loss that will sink an already sunk defense. The reality of the situation is that regardless who was selected at that spot (on the defensive side of the ball) the impact was not going to be as great as they are making it out to be. It's more about the unit than about the raw rookie who still needs time to develop.

To put things in perspective all rookies have a development period before their level of proficiency is adequate enough to play on a regular basis. There is nothing unusual about that delayed time frame. Although Lawson is rehabbing from the surgery that doesn't mean that won't also be working on his game. It's simply part of the developmental rookie process. On the Rex issue I will robustly get in the fray. But on the Lawson issue I just don't understand the commotion. In a lot of ways he getting the surgery now is a good thing because he is getting that health issue addressed sooner rather than later. As I said before taking a calculated risk on a talent is not a bad thing. I thought they were hands that were going to slap me in my unattractive face!

I am befuddled. Am I being castigated or is someone nodding in agreement?

Did the Bills use a first round pick on a player with a medical question mark? They certainly did. So what? The issue that plagued him was an issue that was correctable by surgery. I'm sure Whaley felt that Lawson could get through the season and then the shoulder issue could be addressed. It didn't work out that way. He had the surgery and he will miss a good portion of the season. When you make a high draft selection, or any selection for that matter, the priority issue shouldn't be how good is he going to be in his rookie year. The more important issue is what is the player's potential and how good is he going to be for you in the long run. Most draft analysts had Lawson pegged in the top ten range. If he turns out to be a good player a little later rather than sooner then it was not only a good selection but it was also smart selection in that we selected a player ranked higher than where he was selected.

When you come to a fight where poop is being thrown you need to be prepared. http://toiletpapercoupons101.com/freecoupons.php?seed=picture%20toilet%20paper

If you look like Rex's brother you might hear some snickering.

I appreciate your devotion to the team. There isn't a more loyal fan than you who regularly demonstrates that loyalty with your long trips to the Ralph. But you are living in your bubble of your own manufactured delusion in your belief that the fans are the source of the team's systemic mediocrity. With a morsel of objectivity it shouldn't be too difficult burst that illogical and zany bubble you are residing in.

There is no inherent reason why Buffalo should be a perennial step sister in this league. The system is designed for parity. There is no pure parity because some franchises do have more resources than others but as we know having more resources doesn't necessarily translate into success unless they are used wisely. Organizations such as Green Bay, Pittsburgh and Baltimore are consistently good because their organizations, top to bottom, are fundamentally strong. There is no reason why Buffalo shouldn't be included in that population of solid franchises. At times I may appear to be negative about the direction of this franchise but in reality I am not. I strongly believe that the Pegula ownership wants to do things the right way but because they are new to the sport there is a learning curve for them to handle. Just as they fumbled a bit when they first bought the Sabres they quickly learned that short term bursts of action for the sake of quick fixes don't work out very well. As demonstrated by the Sabres doing things the right way may be painful in the short run but it leads to sustainable success. In my opinion (firmly believed) they made a stupendous mistake in the hiring of Rex. I think it won't take long for them to learn from their mistake and they will be more judicious and measured the next time they have to make such a critical hire. I'm a supporter of Whaley and what he is trying to do. Is he an elite GM? No. But I consider him to be a solid GM. That in itself is a major step in the right direction.

Fitz played like the Fitz Buffalo fans are well acquainted with.

I am comfortable in saying that their team played up to their talent level better than our team did. If you disagree with that assessment that is fine. My suggestion is to trust your eyes more than your heart. A generation of excuses is no longer acceptable.

It is very likely that Fitz will be their starting qb when the season starts. Right now both sides are taking hard stances that will ultimately end up with a love fest contract signing. Are the Jets better than the Bills? I really can't say. What I can say is that their HC is not only better than ours but that he is also a more mature and disciplined coach. I don't believe that it is unfair to say that last year their HC got his team to play up to its talent level better than our more colorful coach got his team to play up to its talent level.

The attached WGR link is from a caller who had the same type of injury that Lawson has. This caller was clear in his description of the injury and the prospects for a successful recovery. He also pointed out that he believed that Whaley was aware of the nature of the injury and that it had to be addressed. It appears to me that Whaley believes in the talent of the player and was willing to wait on his recovery. As I said in a prior post investing on a top talent, even if you don't get an immediate return, is a smart way to go. This is a 6 minute link from a caller who knew what he was talking about. http://media.wgr550.com/a/115202349/5-16-caller-george-on-lawson-injury.htm

What makes you think that the drafting of Lawson is a blunder? He had a shoulder issue that the Bills were aware of but thought that he could play through it this season. It didn't work out in the most favorable way.The organization quickly took the surgery route to fix the issue. The real issue is not that he has to have surgery but it is what caliber of player does he turn out to be? If not sooner, then a little later. Maybe because he had question marks about his shoulder other teams passed on him who were interested in him. If it turns out that in the not too distant future he becomes a good player for us then what was questionable about his health worked out in our favor. The Cowboys drafted Smith, the LB from Notre Dame, in the second round knowing that he would probably sit out this upcoming season. Did they take a risk? Yes. Jacksonville drafted Myles Jack near the top of the second round. They were aware of his problematic knee but still were willing to invest a high pick on him. The point I'm making referring to these players with known injuries is that if you are going to take a risk then take the risk on a talent.