JohnC

Not that I am aware of. Spice and then reckless driving. It's my opinion that he will lose his license for 6 mos to a year. Probably won't serve jail time. I also believe that he will draw a suspension from the league.

You don't understand my position. I'm very confident that Dareus is going to be suspended by the league. Whether Marcell complied with the court regarding the spice case I can't say because I don't know what the terms of the case were. What is known is that he got in trouble again after a first ciminal justice issue. As far as being officially being notified by the league for his first criminal infraaction I can't say for sure. I suspect it did one way or the other. Whaley did acknowledge that the organization did have a "consultation" with him over his aberrant behavior. It was made clear what was expected of him. Obviously it didn't make much an an impact with him. You are underestimating the degree of punishment. He is going to have his license suspended from 6 mos to a year. And then a suspension of 2 to 4 games will follow from the punishment coming from the league. Trust me his reckless behavior is going to be costly.

I respectfully but strenuously disagree with you. Timing has a lot to do in the way that Roger G considers this matter. A first time transgressor is not going to be handled with as much severity as a person he has already recently spoken to. If I had to guess the reckless Dareus is facing a 2-4 game suspension. That's some serious coin. In the not too distant future Dareus is going to learn that behaving in a manner that jeopardizes the safety of the public does have consequences.

I'm not advocating for any particular option at qb because I simply don't know who is going to be brought in. Does Sanchez have a tendency to turn the ball over? Yes he does. But if he is capable of making more plays than the erratic throwing EJ then isn't he the better option? It's obvious to everyone that the qb taking the snaps next season is not going to be a dynamic passer. The role of the qb is going to be limited because the talent level at that position is limited. Is EJ a better option? From what I have already seen (limited sample) I have major doubts about him, even in comparison to the problematic Sanchez.

Do you think that the new HC would to his detriment favor a qb he has had a prior association with over another qb (such as EJ) who on the field demonstrates that he is a better option at that position?

Although the qb situation isn't promising it isn't necessarily as grim as you stated. There is little debate that the pickings are slim. But that doesn't mean that a reasonable qb addition can't be added to the mix that will allow this team to take a step forward. A Hoyer or McCown or Shaun Hill type average to below average type qb will be an upgrade compared to what he have had. Unless EJ takes a major step forward and demonstrates that he can be a franchise qb (very questionable) then we will have to instead settle for a proficient and mature type qb . It is not unreasonable to take the position that that type of qb would have gotten us an extra win or two last season. The criticisms that many people are making against Sanchez are very fair. But that still begs the questiion: Is he a better option than what we have? Although I am not enamored with him I still consider him an upgrade. If he isn't then let it be proven so when other qbs on the roster have the opportunity to compete against him or any other unimpressive qb brought into the fold.

You are being too optimistic with Dareus's probable league suspension (at least two games if not four) when his current legal issue is completed. From the league perspective the most damaging aspect of his driving foolishness is not his reckless driving incident viewed as an isolated incident but seeing that it followed shortly after his first brush with the law. The facts of the driving case are indisputable. There is nothing mitigating about his actions. The prosecutor is not going to give up his position of strength when he has no reason to do so. Dareus drove in a dangerous manner in an urban setting in the middle of the day. Dareus is going to face the consequences of the legal system (relatively minor) and then face the discipline meted out by the league which will be more costly. In the end he will get what he deserves.

It doesn't take much to get production from an abundamentally talented receiver such as Watkins. That's a very low bar for him to meet. That shouldn't be the metric to judge him by i.e. simply a productive player. When you have an impact player such as he is and you don't get the game changing production from him then his abilities are squandered. My position on Spiller is different from many (especially from NYC Bill). I consider him to be a dynamic big play player. He is a thoroughbred being used as if he was a plow horse. The critics complain that he is not a workhorse type back. My response is so what! When you have a unique talent you have to accentuate his specific talents to get the most out of him. His coaching staff did the opposite; they accentuated what he couldn't do well and de-emphasized what he does do well. What is the point of having Spiller when you have the worst or one of the worst OLs in the league? What is the point of constructing an OL that is big, lumbering and immobile and thus is incapable of getting out in front of him on sweeps and swing passes? I'm repeating what has already been said many times over. The first priority is to get a competent qb to take the snaps and the next priority is to rebuild last year's incapable OL. If that gets done then we will be a respectable and competitive team.

If you can select a player ranked in the area that he was drafted and fill a major need then that is a smart approach to take. The guard I referred to (Duke's Tomlinson) is considered to be a second round talent and value pick. I would have no problem taking him and boltersing a very weak positiion on this team. The guard position play last year was less than mediocre. It was a major vulnerability that hindered the offense. To put it mildly!!!

I appreciate your detailed response and research. Sometimes stats are less telling when not considered in context. As an example offensive stats are inflated when the opposing defense is in a prevent situation. You can accumulate a lot of impressive stats that don't reflect the overall performance. The problem with oiur guard play was that it was not simply below average, it was at a level of mediocrity that was constantly being exploited. It not only was a weak point but it negatively affected the play of the center and LT. Henderson struggled all season, especially the second half of the season. If you review the play of each offensive lineman not one of them had a good year. Glenn had a down year and Woods play was below his usual decent standard. The guards were overwhelmed and so was the RT. As I stated in the prior post one of the top priorities of the front office is to upgrade this very lacking line. It's not surprising that one of its first transactions early in the offseason dealt with bringing in a player with a history of troubles to improve an area that desperately needs improvement. I'm not saying you are wrong in your more positive assessment. Even with your excellent stat rebuttal I maintain my position that this line was one of the worst, if not the worst, OL in the league.

The guard play was less than poor. It constantly got overwhelmed to the detriment of the other linemen. There is nothing unusual about having less than average performance from some of the members on the line. You can to a certain extent compensate for its limitations. But when it gets to the point that it is a constant cave in situation then there is no remedy other than personnel changes. If you combine the inadequate level of play of our guards and RT and you factor in that our qb was one of the least mobile qb in the league then you have a toxic mix. I stand by my view that this OL was one of the worst, if not the worst OL, in the league. It's not surprising that the front office is already making transactions to bolster that hideously ineffective line.

Watkins is a special talent whose rankings would be near the top in most drafts. The issue for many is: Was the trade up worth it? Those who say that it wasn't worth it have a strong basis to make that claim . The reason is until there is a qb who can play at a competent level the sterling receiver's talents are squandered. If EJ is that starter will Watkins's talents be properly utilized? I think not. (I would love to be proven wrong. But his erratic accuracy disturbs me.) If the front office in this offseason comes up with an Orton type qb then the Watkins deal looks less worthy. If the front office comes up with a capable (adequate) qb who can sufficiently make plays then the deal was worth the expense. The most interesting issue for the fans in this offseason is who is Whaley going to bring in to add to the qb mix? I have mulled over this issue, as have many others. There are no slam dunk talents available. But considering the market limitations that isn't what should be expected. If we can enter into the season with a bridge qb who falls in the category of reasonably competent then my low ball measuring stick will call it a successful transaction. If we enter the season in the same situation as last year then the Watkins deal is questionable.

I understand your position and it makes a lot of sense. But Dallas demonstrated that if you want a high end line that puts your qb in a better situation then investing in the OL is a good strategy to take. The Bills have taken the approach that bringing in average free agent talent is more than sufficient to bolster the line. It's obvious that hasn't worked out. If the Bills were using a first round pick on a guard I would be more sympathetic to your stance. But that isn't the case here. Our OL last year was arguably the worst line in the league. They were worse than being mediocre. As a unit they were so frequently overwhelmed that the qb was flinching before he even took the snap. There are some very good quality guards that will be availble for us in the second round. If you want a significant upgrade on the OL then it would be smart to invest higher round picks to get that level of quality. It's not very dramatic but it is a sound way to go.

The player I am touting for the Bills in the second round is Duke's guard Laken Tomlinson. The Dallas Cowboys should be a good model for us. By having an upper tier OL you improve your team on both the offense and defense. Drafting a guard is not very stylish but it is substative.

If the standard in the jurisdiction for his type of offense is jail time then he should do jail time. If the standard in the jurisdiction for his type of offense is not to do jail time then that standard should be applied to him. It seems to me that the facts of the case are known and are difficult to challegne. Apparently the defense believes that what the prosecutor is offering is too harsh. On the other side of the coin the prosecutor probably believes that the defense has little room to maneuver. As you suggested that in these type of cases "signals" are given by the court as to what the level of sentencing is going to be before there is a trial. There is no doubt that the court prefers a deal so that a trial can be avoided. From my vantage point it appears to me that because there isn't much to challenge with regards to the facts of the case that the prosecution is in a better negotiating stance. If that is the case then it makes more sense for them to hold their ground.

If the standard in the community he was arrested in doesn't call for jail time then he shouldn't get it. If the standard is that someone who was recently arrested for other transgressions and is then involved in another criminal transgression does get jail time then he should be subjected to the same standard. In the other tragic case I cited it should be noted that the son was an only child. http://espn.go.com/m...eckless-driving

http://espn.go.com/m...eckless-driving

I respectfully but strenuously disagree with you. There is a simple and fair way to handle his case. Treat him like everyone else. I'm sure you agree with that approach. Attempted murder is not going to be treated as harshly as a murder charge but it will be treated as a very serious offense. If someone shoots at a school whether he hits anyone or not the offender is going to face serious charges. The driving incident that Dareus was involved with came shortly after he had legal transgressions involving drugs with the homeboys. Shortly after that he got involved in another incident that by the grace of god didn't kill some innocent bystanders. My position regarding Dareus really has little to do with who he is and what he does for a living. My position is simple and clear: Treat him like any other person. If the standard is jail time, then so be it. If not, then punish him in consistent manner with the local standard. I've told the story before so I won't go into it again. Someone I worked with had a son who was pitching in his first major league game. He flew out from the east to the west coast. He watched his son pitch in his first game. He was stupendously proud of his son. After the game he went to the hotel and was notified by the police that his son and others got killed because of a drunken driver. I have no sympathies for people who behave in a way that is a danger to the community.

When dealing with a high profile case for a standard criminal act (driving charge) the judge is going to be very conscience about not showing favortism on the one hand and not being excessively harsh because the defendant has a high profile. There is usually a standard response by the sentencing judge to such an expected media covered case: Give out the same sentence you would to the average joe. There is nothing unusual about this case. The judge and the courts handle these type of cases all the time. For certain courts these type of cases make up a lot of cases that the judge presides over. Assuming there is a conviction a report is going to be made by the court about his history which also includes prior criminal incidents. That will be factored in when the judge decides to hand out his sentence. The judge is not only concerned with Dareus and being fair to him but he is also going to be very aware that how he handles the case is going to be reviewed. That''s the predictable outcome that happens when expensive attorneys represent wealthy clients. So the best way to cover his own robe covered rear end is to be consistent on the way he usually handles similar cases. As you smartly indicated there are going to be signals sent to the defense attorney letting him know what the best deal he can get before going through the trouble of a trial.

Dareus's real concern is not doing significant jail time because of his reckless behavior. His overriding issue he and his attorney are more concerned with is the punishment meted out by the league. The lower the charge the lower the punishment will be from the league because it will follow the precedents for punishment of other driving transgressions. Dareus's behavior was beyond being reprehensible. He is very fortunate that he didn't kill any innocent bystanders. His moronic behavior came after some other police incidents down south. The standard of the law and punishment applied to him should be the same as it is for everyone else. He should do some jail time, even if it is dished out in weekend increments. If this was his first criminal incident I would be more sympathetic. It's not. He demonstrated by his dangerous driving behavior that he is a menace to the community. He needs to be jolted by the criminal justice system and be held accountable just like everyone else. For those responders who think I am being too harsh just ask yourself what would be your response if he killed your wife who was simply taking the kids out to McDonalds? Jason Wirth was also involved in a reckless driving incident. He is going to do weekend jail time to make amends. Dareus should be handled in a very similar manner. http://espn.go.com/mlb/story/_/id/11983889/jayson-werth-washington-nationals-gets-10-days-jail-reckless-driving

Sammy Watkins's sterling talents were wasted because the OL could not block and the sub-average veteran qb was hideously immobile and his passing ability was fading as the season advanced. Calling plays for Watkins was not the problem. The inability to execute plays that involved Watkins due to talent limitations was the problem. From an offensive perspective Marrone didn't fail Whaley so much as Whaley failed Marrone in not giving him the wherewithal to have a respectable offense. Last year Whaley placed an emphasis on addressing the OL. He drafted Kujo, Richardson and Henderson. He also brought in a pedestrian veteran in Williams. The end result was not one of them made a positive contribution. That is not the fault of the HC. Let's not even get into the qb situation that Marrone had to work with! Our young qb prospect, EJ, was replaced by arguably the worst starting qb in the league. What does that say about EJ? Are you going to blame the qb situation on Marrone?

Marrone had a flawed team to work with during his tenure . He had a well staffed defense that played at a high level. Marrone had deficient players on the OL and a mediocre qb who was fading fast. He worked around the limitations he had on offense and kept our team competitive. He didn't give up as you suggest. His teams consistently played hard for him. The limitations he had on the field were a direct result of the limitations he had with the players he had on the roster. The unimaginative and very restrictive playcalling on offense was directly due to the limited abilities of the players, especially on the OL and at qb. In assessing his record he got a fringe playoff team to compete at a fringe playoff level. What more d.o you want? The issue for me isn't whether I am a Marrone supporter or not. The issue is did he do a good job with the players he had to work with? My opinion is yes. Marrone is not a likeable person. So what! Because he isn't a congenial person doesn't mean that it is fair or right to distort his record in order to lash back at him. There is no doubt that Rex Ryan is a much more likeable person than DM. But the reality is that DM outperformed RR over the past two years. The central problem with the Bills during DM's stint had little to do with the quality of coaching so much as it had to do with roster limitations. That is the point. As a HC Marrone outperformed Gailey. Period! Gailey was fired and Marrne was not. Fitz was far from being a good qb but he was immensely better than the stuck in the mud Orton. The OL that Gailey had was adequate while the OL that Marrone had to work with was beyond being atrocious.

Chan Gailey's with the Bills was 16-32. The record for the last two years was 6-10 and 6-10. Marrone outperformed Gailey as a HC.

The line couldn't block for runs inside or outside the tackles. How do you call plays that involve traps and sweeps when the guards were immobile and not quick enough to react to the defense or adjust to stunts? How does the OC call for a screen pass when you have blockers such as Richardson, Urbik, Pears (forget about Kujo who couldn't even get on the field) who couldn't slide to the outside to block on the screen? The failure of the offense last year had little to do with schemes and everything to do with the low grade talent level on the line and at qb. The organization was willing to take a risk on a troubled player such as Incognito not because we had an abundance of talent on the line but because there was a desperate need to fix a major problem area.

Winners win and losers make excuses!