JohnC

Even if the money is less that doesn't mean that he isn't going to a team that will better utilize his skill set and be a better situation for him. If the Pats acquire him I have no doubt that he will be used in a smarter fashion. It's not about the quantiy of carries as it is about the effectiveness of a player. I'm very confident that if CJ ends up with Dallas (with their great OL) or with the Pats (with one of the smartest coaching staffs) he will exhibit his dynamic playmaking skills to a greater extent than he did with the dullard Bills.

Gotham Bill, I guarantee it that if the Pats acquire CJ he will be used in a more effective manner than the way Bills used him. You don't think that catching swing passes from Brady or even short downfield passes will result in a number of big plays? You have had the mistaken notion that just because Spiller is not a workhorse back (was not drafted to be that kind of back) that his talents can't be exploited. CJ Spiller has similar talents to Darren Spoles, a player that wherever he has gone (SD, New Orleans and Philly) has consistently made big plays. Just because the Bills have not been smart about using his unique skill set that doesn't mean that smarter and more successful organizations will be similarly dumb. If CJ ends up with the Pats or Cowboys and has an impactful year you will be the first in a long line lamenting why he couldn't have done the same good things for this western NY francise. You were very wrong in your assessment on Gilmore (I'm aware you changed your stance) and you are wrong on your view of Spiller. Time will tell but I am confident in my long standing position. To be honest with you I am glad that he is no longer a Bill and is on the open market. He has been liberated from the shackles of foolishness.

John Urschel from Penn State (Canisius H.S.) was drafted in the fifth round by Baltimore. By the end of the season he was starting and playing well. I don't care what offense he played at Baylor Urschel is a better pro now and will continue to be a better player than Richardson.

No one said any player is a bust. What is said and is fair to say is that players such as Kujo and Richardson were not ready to play in their rookie year. Henderson was a developmental pick. He was also not ready to extensively play in his rookie year.

The GM ultimately makes the draft selections. Kujo was a Whaley pick as was Richardson. They both mightedly struggled. It doesn't matter how you shuffled the players on our OL they were sub par. They played down to their talent level. The line will be better this year because it will have a number of different players playing on the line.

Whaley drafted three linemen and brought in a free agent guard in Chris Williams. All three dratees stuggled and the free agent guad was injured. None of them was a positive player on the line.

We had the worst OL in the league and one of the worst starting qbs. It was the talent level that plagued the unit, not the coaching. It's not surprising that Whaley's first moves have to do with getting different players on the line at at the qb position.

The disparity in performance had nothing to do with the disparity of toughness between the units. The difference was the talent level. The defense was loaded and the talent on offense in general was less than mediocre. The line and qb were stunningly bad. The most talented player on offense was Watkins. His exceptional talents were squandered because the OL and QB play were repugnant. You can be an extremely tough player yet be a poor performer. Upgrading the talent level is the solution. In my view Marrone got the most out of his players on both sides of the ball. If Nix is going to be more successful than Marrone (especially on offense) it will be due to the fact that he has better players.

What Kujo is doing is not out of the ordinary; it is the norm. Many people are portraying the hard work Kujo is putting in this offseason as doing something special. It is not. This is what one does to stay in this highly competitive profession. What would be surprising is not the training he is doing in Arizona but if he didn't participate in a rigorous training program. Especially when he failed miserably in his rookie year. Kujo found himself in a situation where for the first time in a football situation he was overwhelmed. He consistently got brutally manhandled by the players he line up against. He was a boy going against men. If he didn't respond with the urgency and desperaton that he is currently exhibiting to do better in his second year he would be unceremoneously dumped by the team that drafted him with a high round pick. Kujo is a very young player whose maturation process is still at an early stage. He is a good kid and a sincere kid. It's encouraging that he is responding by working harder to better prepare himself for the upcoming challenge. But make no mistake about it that he was a miserable failure last year not because of anything that had to do with coaching but because he wasn't ready from a physical and mental standpoint. His failure last year was his failure.

There is nothing there of conseqquence to be found. If there was a hint of any serious infractions being discovered the internet and the sports talk world would be on fire. People were responding to what they believed could have happened instead of reacting to the facts. The report will probably result in changes to the way the balls are handled. Odds are that league officials, and not teams, will control the balls prior and during the games. And league officials will be responsible for the inflation of the balls. Don't be surprised if there will be a single standard for the PSI instead of a range. The reason why there is so much attention paid to what has normally been a trivial issue is that it involves New England, a high profile and lightening rod franchise. If the team involved were the Bills no one would care.

It wasn't so much that Tom Coughlin was an arse as it was that he was a tough old-school coach. His authoritarian approach after time wears thin, especially when you are dealing with a different generation of players. The players got tired of his strict commander style. As time wore on he was less effective. To his credit he was willing to listen to others that he needed to soften up. He had enough self-awareness and security to change. If he didn't he was going to lose his job. It's not easy or often that that type of ingrained approach can be changed. But he was wise enough to reallize that he was going to be fired or burn out if he didn't modify his style of coaching. From a job standpoint Doug Marrone got the most out of a very flawed team. He had the worst OL in the league and he had one of the worst starting qbs in the game. He was coaching a team that had an offense that was overmatched. The problem with the team wasn't coaching (contrary to what many say) it was the lack of talent. Marrone was right that EJ wasn't ready at this point (if ever). And he wasn't going to stand for it. Being right about an issue is one thing but being belligerent with your bosses regardless what the issue is is inappropriate and usually self-defeating The bottom line is that his very flawed and imbalanced team consistently played hard for him. In my view he was a "decent" HC but was an antagonistic person when working with others. There are professional ways in expressing your positions within an organization. He was too self-absorbed and had an inflated opinion of himself to successfully work within an organizational framework. It has to be remembered that DM was not fired. Rex was. But if DM would have stayed inevitably he would have been kicked out the door. As I have said on a few occasions he did the right thing, if not the honorable thing, in leaving a situation that he was uncomfortable in. It doesn't matter what business you are in.Ultimately success is derived in most jobs by how you deal with people. You can be talented in the mechanics of what you do but if you can't relate to people and work well with those above and below you you will inevitably fail. The irony for DM is that the issues that troubled him associated with the talent level are systematically being addressed. It wasn't his lack of football knowledge that did himself in as it was his lack of interpersonal skills that resulted in him in leaving a position he so much sought and strived for. With respect to Donahoe being an arse is one thing but when you show disrespect to your owner who is a tough son of a gun and doesn't tolerate being disrected you are dooming yourself. When your boss calls you on the phone you don't put him on hold or leave a message that you will get back to him when you have time. You pick up the phone and say "yes sir". Even if the boss is a nuisance!.

Your view on the organizational chart and how it functions is very interesting. But I respectfully disagree with your take, although it is very well described. In the NFL of today the organization has to be much more flexible and nimble to deal with the challenges of the cap and inevitable numerous player movements. If the front office and the coaching staff are not in sync there is going to be trouble manifested in incoherent player acquistions working against coaching philosophies. In other posts I have stated that Rex Ryan is not a better coach than Doug Marrone. That is not to say that he is a lesser coach. But from an organizational standpoint he is a better fit for us and has a better and more respectful working relationship with the GM. Doug Marrone took a Bill Parcells approach to his position when he didn't have the Parcell stature and authority. That is how in the end he sabotaged himself in his job. Rex is in a good position to exchange his thoughts with a secure GM and front office staff and have them seriously considered. That is not a diminution of the GM's authority; it is reflection of a GM who is smart enough to run his operation in a very modern manner that is less authoritari. Tom Donahoe would be appalled with such a more collegial approach. The caliber of qbing is going to be a factor in limiting what can and can't be done. Because Cassell is more experienced with reads and reacting than EJ is the implementation is going to be more expansive. The playbook is going to be the same for each qb but Cassell should be able to run a fuller offense than EJ is capable of doing.

I am an admirer of Greg Cossell and his takes on players and prospects. He bases his opinions on what he sees on tape and is not afraid to go against the grain if that is what he sees. Almost everyone is making the same point in emphasizing the upgrade of the OL. I'm not a fan of Incognito but without a doubt he is an upgrade. (From a football standpoint one of my major problems with him is that he gets too many penalties. He reminds me of a lesser version of Conrad Dobler.) I wouldn't be against using our first pick in the second round on a guard. There are a number of good combo T/Gs in this draft. I would love to see Kouandjio get back on track. He is working hard this offseason to prepare himself for the season. Last year he was simply unprepared for the major leap to the pro ranks. People forget how young he is. And he is a good kid! This is a very good situation for Cassell. All that he is asked to do is play within himself and do it within the confines of a fairly simple offense. This is not going to be a gimmick offense with a lot of surprises. The offense is being built to suit a Greg Roman conceived offense compared to a more complex and creative Chan Gailey type offense. I'm not suggesting that one OC is better than the other. What I am saying is that they have very different approaches to offenses and they need different types of players to match their different visions. There is a different feel and atmosphere under Pegula's ownership. This doesn't have the old staid organizational environment any longer. I'm a strong believer in fundamentals such as smart drafting and doing your best to develop and keep your own talent. But in the NFL of today with the cap and player movement you have to be able to manage your franchise in a more creative and flexible manner. I like very much what I am seeing.

Too many people are evaluating the trade from the perspective of which team got the better of the deal. That shouldn't be the standard to make a judgment. For the Bills' perspective the issue is did it make the team better? In my opinion it does. It balances out our roster more between the defense and offense. If the Bills bolster the OL, which I believe they will do more of, then for us it was a good deal. Regardless who our starting qb is going to be the strength of the team is still going to be the defense. But that doesn't mean that adding a good running game won't enhance the play of our still limited qb and offense. Chip Kelly has a different vision on how to build a roster. One of the advantages of moving McCoy is giving him more cap space to add to his roster. In his mind he can bring in another back who is cheaper, such as Ingram from the Saints, and have more money to address other needs. From what I heard on the radio Rex believed that he could do without Kiko who is more of a light and quick LBer. He prefers his inside LBer to be more of a thumper. If Kiko was going to move to the oustside Rex felt that last year's LBers can be just as effective, if not more, on the outsdie. When all the deals are done and the draft is concluded the key for us entering the season is bolstering the OL and getting solid qb play, whether it is from EJ or from Cassell. As it stands the Bills are a fringe wildcard playoff team. That's where we are at. Understanding the status of your team and adjusting to it is what the organization is doing, and it is the right approach to take.

Go to traffic court and fight the tickets, all of them. There is a good chance that the officer might not show up. If he does he will demonstrate that he lacks common sense. The traffic judge is probably a parent and will understand your situation. Odds are that he will be more critical towards the officer who didn't stop you on the scene and instead made the assumption that you will not bother to challenge his foolishness. Trust me you are in a stronger position than you think. Good luck to you. In my view the officer abused his authority as a public servant.

I like you was pleasantly surprised with how well Aikman transitioned from the field to the booth. His timing with his booth partner is excellent, he is succinct and his observations are insightful. He can be critical about a play but say it in a non-harsh way that is more illuminating and less personal. As it stands he is one of the best in the booth and is trusted to handle the most prominent games.

Arizona is trying hard to get into the bottom 1. Their tanking is just as blatant as the Sabres' tank job. They are shedding players at a faster rate than the Sabres are. How dare they!

In each of the jobs you will be relocating. When you discuss the job offer with the first party that appears to be offering you the job tell then you are also have an offer from another party. Since so much is at stake for you let the first party know that you want to gather enough information from both jobs so that you can very shortly make a decision in a day or so. The people doing the hiring realize that any new job that requires relocating is a big decision for anyone. So they will be more understanding than you think. Also let the first party know that you are very interested in the offer and that you will make the decision in a day or so. In that way they will know that they are not being strung along to the point that another potential candidate will be lost. No matter what decision you make or even if the worst happens that you get neither job it is not the end of the world. You got two quality offers (maybe near offers) shortly after graduating, so you must be an appealing candidate. The best of luck.

I'm not saying this to curry favor with NYC Bill but I would have no problem with bringing in Mallett. He isn't the most mobile but he has reasonably good pocket presence and he can make all the throws. Kellen Moore is another qb I would be interested in. He is not too talll but he knows how to make the reads and he is accurate and mobile. There are reasonable options out there. None of them are without flaws. But that doesn't mean that a reasonable solution to the qb issue can't be found. I'm not completely dismissing EJ. I have my doubts about him but if he can beat out the competition then more power to him. I just don't want to go through another year of wretched qb play. As I and others have stated with average qb play last year the Bills would have been in the playoffs. This franchise has to make some moves on offense to take advantage of our very good defense while it is in tack.

Shaun Hill is a typical long term backup with little prospect of being a starter. However, if he would have been our starter last year the Bills would have won a couple of additional games (KC and Oakland) and been a playoff team. It's acknowledged that all of the veteran qbs mentioned are temporary solutions. When you are in a bad situation the best you can do is to find the most optimal (least imperfect) option for the time being. The worst thing the Bills can do is to force the issue and waste resources for a long-term qb when there isn't any available to us at this time. I like Foles. But is he available? If the Eagles were in a position to acquire Mariota they could be a team to make a deal with. But at this time I don't see it happening.

Yes.

Last year I watched some Oakland and Minnesota games. Two rookies, Carr and Bridgewater, both showed flashes, albeit, sporadicly, where they demonstrated that they were more accurate and had a better feel for the pocket than EJ ever demonstrated. EJ has a very strong arm but lacks the required consistency and accuracy in his throws. When you watch him play he is very mechanical and lacks the naturalness (feel) that the other two qbs in spurts demonstrated. For the most part even EJ advocates acknowledge that the best approach to take with him is to tightly manage him by keeping the offense simple and placing him in the category as a game manager. That restrictive approach makes sense for a veteran qb with less physical skills who knows how to play the position. It makes little sense for a relatively young qb who has limited upside. Buddy Nix very much set this franchise back. His selection as a GM was an embarrassment. He forced the issue in drafting a qb in a bad qb year. He drafted in the first round a prospect who should have been rated as a third round prospect. I'm not an EJ basher. And I am not a Marrone basher. the departed HC made the right decision in benching EJ for a very mediocre veteran qb who although couldn't play an longer knew how to play the position. What does it say about EJ's prospect when a wretched qb such as Orton is thought to give the team the best chance to win?

That quote was my quote. It was in response to a statement made by Beerball. Whenever a coach or front office staffer is asked about what their thoughts are about a player don't expect a candid back office response. You are going to get the standard platitudinous response. Rex has been a HC in the AFCE for the past few years. He has watched the tape and is familiar with our roster before he even joined the team. So it is not too surprising that he has opinions on players before he joined the Bills. For the most part discount what is being said in public. It would be damaging to the team/player relationship to be very candid in public forums. The best way to find out what they think is to observe what they do with their personnel moves rather than listen to the standard blather that is offered.

I recognize that in a long thread one can't read all the posts. On response #698 I basically stated the point you are making. But that is not to say that they don't have some preconceived notions about a player when they assumed their positions. "Rex is not a fool. EJ is going to be given a chance to compete with McCown or whoever is brought in. If he demonstrates that he is a better option he will be the starter. In my view the HC's bias is going to be leaning toward the more experienced qb. Whether EJ is the starter or not because of the injury factor in a long season he will be given an opportunity to get playing time."

The issue isn't putting down any particular player as much as it is giving an honest evaluation. Coaches and scouts give evaluations on what they see, not on what they want to see. Whatever positive or negative views EJ is garnering it is based on his performances on the practice field and in the games. If a coach always gave a positive evaluation on one of his players simply because he was one of his players then what credibility does the coach have when asked to assess a player? In the end how you perform determines your status. Whatever liabilities a player has will be exposed. The bottom line is that players based on their performances write their own scouting report.