JohnC

There are people who believe the world is flat. You will never get unanimity from a public forum. Don't worry about the fringe element---it will always exist. Facts will never be a factor in changing their iron-clad views. Their door is not only closed but it has multiple locks and chains preventing the real world to intrude on their fantasy.

That's part of the problem. There is little consistency in the way problems are handled. It's the league office hat has to establish a credible system to handle these incidents. The last thing you want is 32 organizations having 32 different disciplinary policies for similar incidents. Having an Al Davis mind-set to bad player behavior where anything goes is not the right approach to take. It would have a damaging affect on the business but also on the moral and ethical standard on the leauge. The league has to establish a credible disciplinary apparatus and standard that can be fairly administered. What it doesn't need is what they already have i.e. a strong-man sheriff approach where one man controls the process by being the judge and jury. It starts at the top!

Goodell created a disciplinary system whereby he was the judge and jury. And then he managed a punishment system that was not only inconsistent but it lurched back and forth in reacting to outside pressure. It was a seat of the pants judicial approach to incidents.The end result is that the league is struggling to gain control of the situation, individual teams are handling incidents differently fromne another and the players are upset that they don't have much say in the process. This storm of criticism over the Ray Rice domestic assault case could have been avoided if he meted out a punishment that was more appropriate for this brutal assault. It is rarely a wise approach to take in a large organization for one person to have so much authority. Even if the person in authority is full of wisdom the unbalanced level of power eventually leads to abuse or a tone deafness as to what is the best approach to take. The irony is that the commissioner, who probably was acting out of compassion, did Ray Rice no favors when he administered a very lenient punishment. If he would have been more stern Ray Rice would be in a better position to return to the field sooner. Now he is a public pariah and there is a possibility that he won't ever return to play in the league.

The extra $300 M or so could have been used for a stadium down payment in the not too distant future. Terry Pegula is not the sort of guy who would get hoodwinked in a business deal. I believe that he came in with the mind-set of let's just pay the high price and get this deal done. It's apparent that he was determined to be the new owner. He probably realized that although he was in the most favored position with his bid there still was an outside chance that a "Ballmer" type bid could alter the auction dynamic or the auction could be extended in the hope of inducing additional bidders to enter the competition.. So he just posted an offer that couldn't be refused. When Pegula wants to get a deal done he doesn't quibble. He gets it done! Anyone at this point who doesn't acknowledge Ralph Wilson's business prowess is deluding himself/herself. He entered a Toronto series deal with the Rogers group and up front pocketed $78 M. for a garbage product. And then by getting them interested in the future franchise auction the Wilson estate probably gained in the range of $300 M more from the sale because they were an overshadowing bidder. The end result is the franchise stayed in the region, as he wanted, and his estate gained value.

Bill NYC, Excellent summarization of the game. I won't respond to all your excellent points but will just respond to a few. Marrone and the staff are using Spiller as he should be used. The kickoff run back for a TD and the long run in the second half were both critical plays in this game. Playmakers are very difficult to acquire. When you have an opportunity to get that type of impact player you should seize the opportunity and then put that player in a position to succeed. Watkins is another scintillating player who was well worth the high cost to acquire. As you noted although he was the focal point of the passing game he was still open all day long. One of his attributes that has amazed me is his strong hands. As well as he played it is obvious that he is impaired with the lingering painful rib injury. I suspect that he won't be fully healed this year. He is a tough dude! As you noted Graham was a tremendous signing. At this very early point in the season he is the most dependable CB. He is a smart and mature player. Bill, I'm imploring you not to prejudge Gilmore. I feel very strongly that he is going to be an upper tier CB. He is not fully healthy and he is still rusty. Be patient with him and you will be richly rewarded with a high caliber CB who will regularly be assigned the best receiver on the offense. Go against your instincts and trust me on this one. I will not lead you astray! Prior to the season Marrone was asked on WGR who he felt was the most improved player. Without any hesitation he said it was Bradham. It's apparent that not only has he improved but he has taken a quantum leap forward this season. Mario Williams is a force and Kyle Williams is an interior dynamo. There isn't a defensive lineman in the league who knows how to utilize leverage like KW. He is a leader on this team not by the way he speaks up but by the way he plays. Accolades should be directed toward Hackett for the way he is handling EJ. Hackett is running a very simple low risk offense for EJ. Most of his passes (especially the short roll out passes) are safe passes and not multiple read plays. Without a doubt as the season advances the OC will be adding to the offense and giving EJ more downfield passes. Because our defense has so far played well there is little pressure on EJ to force plays in order to catch up. Manuel is showing a lot of maturity by not forcing the issue and being impatient. Not asking him to do too much and having him play cautiously is the right approach to take with him. At this point EJ is playing adequately enough. If he steadily gets better then I will be more than satisfied. In my view he is not the type of qb who is going to make the quantum leap forward. Steady progression is what I am now seeing and what I hope to continue to see. It's very early in the season but so far Whaley has made some nice moves. Making the trade up for Waktins, acquiring Graham, Dixon, the drafting of the risky Henderson were smart moves this year. Last year's trade of Sheppard for Hughes and the acquisition of Lawson were also positive transactions. Whaley is very invested in the development of EJ. So far his coaching staff is handling him in a very smart and judicious manner that will give him the best chance to succeed.

Thanks for the response. There is no doubt that some positions are clearly more important/impactful than others. If I had to choose between taking an elite pass rusher or an elite corner I would take the pass rusher. But my general philosophy is that when building a roster talent trumps positions. If you had to make a choice of an elite corner or LB or a very good DE I would go with the elite talent. Many people devalue the guard position. But if an elite guard or center was on the draft board such as Steve Hutchinson I would snatch the more talented player. We have strenuously (but respectfully) disagreed over the Spiller selection. I consider him an elite talent who has to be used smartly. He is not a workhorse back, and will never be. But he is a playmaker---a rare commodity. Would I take him over a high quality DE? Yes, because of his big play ability. Would I take a Spiller over an elite DE? Probably not.

I'm with WEO on this issue. I'm not commenting on the agent because I have little knowledge about him. But the approach of going backto the past to secure the services of Polian to advance the future of this franchise is a failed nostalgic approach that Ralph Wilson resorted to. Make no mistake that Bill Polian is a HOF GM who did his best work in Buffalo. But that output happened almost a quarter century ago.His work in Indianapolis was (in my opinion) less than sterling. If Pegula wants to have a fresh set of eyes to evaluate this franchise I would prefer that he would talk to a number of people, possibly including Polian, to get some sense how this organization is perceived throughout the league.

McKelvin is coming off of offseason surgery that curtailed his offseason and preseason preparation. More often than not he is in single coverage against the receiver. Although his balls skills are not good his coverage skills are solid. It's also evident that he is one of the top physical talents on the team and in the league. He has some liabilities with his ball skils but overall his coverage skills more than makeup for that limitation. Because of the way the rules are applied in the league, advantaging the receivers, the DBs play the most challenging position. The DBs are more than ever dependent on the quality of the pass rush. NYC Bill and Badobilz often argue that because of the rule changes the value of the position is downgraded. I take the opposite view. You need not only good DBs to contain the receivers but you need more of them. Without a doubt the Graham pickup was a terrific acquisition by Whaley. And Robey is the most instinctive and football smart DB on the unit. And he is pound per pound the toughest DB on the team. He was another tremendous pickup by Whaley. You can add me to your sober audience that came away with the same conclusion.

The role of a cop and prosecutor is a role that he has resolutely carved out for himself as the commissioner. He relished that role--he certainly didn't hide from that responsibility. When he took over the reigns as the new commissioner he made it his signature mission to forcefully deal with the thug element in the league. He felt that the growing outlaw behavior of a faction of the players was jeopardizing the NFL brand. The NBA went through the same scenario when too many of their players were conducting themselves in a manner that the paying customers found offensive, leading to a sizeable loss of patronage. I don't care what the punishment precedent was that Goodell used in punishing Rice. Rice's situatoin was qualitatively and exponentially different. He could have killed her. (As you noted.) As far as the issue of whether Goodell saw the tape of inside the elevator I simply don't understand how it is so material or important. Everyone knew that Rice knocked her out with a punch because he admitted to it. What was most disturbing to me is not the punch although it could have been a killer punch. The callous manner in which he dragged this unconscious woman was revolting and demonstrated how depraved he was as a human being. There is no way that a person who acts like a savage in a public place hasn't also acted like a savage behind closed doors. I agree with you that Goodell should not be fired for his egregious misjudgment in this case. What should happen to him is that he should be suspended from his duties for half the season without pay, a similar punishment that would have been more appropriate in the Rice affair.

In general I agree with your comments. I certainly agree that Ralph had a history of getting involved with the football decisions and major hires, which is his prerogative. The team's record is a testament to his involvement.

Brandon has stated on numerous occasions that he is not involved in the football operation. According to him Whaley and his staff make those types of decisions. He is the president of the company. So without a doubt decisions that they make go to him. He has a right to know and a responsibiliy to know what decisions are going to be made before they are officially made. I don't understand the controversy about Brandon being in the draft room. There is nothing sinister or out of the ordinary about the makeup of that draft room. He was helping with the logistics of juggling a number of phone calls. There is nothing inappropriate about that. As far as the hiring of the HC I'm sure he was involved to an extent. But the GM has the most influential say on that critical hire. On certain issues it is impossible to prove one way or another. What I know for sure is that Brandon has on more than a few occasions categorically stated that he doesn't get involved in the football side of the business. He also has stated that he knows what is going on because he is informed on what is going on. I am very confident that Whaley was responsbile for the trade up on draft day for Watkins. Was Brandon informed prior to the draft of the possibility of that maneuver? Probably so. But without a doubt Brandon was not involved in that football decision.

My understanding of the situation after the Brandon elevation and departure from the position was a list of people to be interviewed for the GM position was given to the owner. The owner reviewed the list and only recognized Nix as someone he knew. Without interviewing anyone else he selected Buddy because he knew him. Did Brandon voluntarily relinquish the position or did Wilson decide to make a change? I'm leaning towards Brandon voluntarily left a position he was uncomfortable in. There is another interesting question? Was Nix "encouraged" to retire (still on the payroll as a emeritus scout) or did he leave on his own? Brandon and Buddy were very close. Brandon appreciated the respectful way he was treated by the much more experienced football person.

The problem with being placed in a position that one is ill-equipped for is that you don't have the background and credibility to respond to other football staffers who are also involved with making football decisions. The owner similarly placed Marv Levy in a position that he was ill-equipped for. So he (in his own words) became a facilitator instead of being substatively involved in the football operation. Just like Brandon Levy realized that he wasn't equipped for the position and took himself out of it.

I''m not disagreeing with your position. All I'm saying is that those who are saying that he wasn't the best long term prospect don't have an unreasonable position. There might be some ill-informed extremists who are blaming Whaley for the past but that is a point of view that is so outlandish that it isn't worth the bother.

You are very astute. Don't be shy---you can include yourself in any group you want to. Brandon is not making football decisions. He is allowing his football people to do their jobs. And he has an interest in knowing what is going on. Sometimes people work too hard digging deeply to find out something that is conspicuously lying down on the surface.

Maybe the right approach was not to force the qb issue in that particular draft year and wait another draft year to invest in your future franchise qb? I'm not against the EJ selection. I'm open-minded about his prospects. The consensus from scouts on EJ was that he was a raw prospect who was going to take time before becoming a finished product. So it's certainly not an unreasonable position to take that the wiser approach would have been to wait another year. Is Carr or Bridgewater or Bortles or Grapola (sic) a better prospect? I don't know. The organization had a conviction on Manuel and they are invested in him. So you go with what you got and hope it works out.

I agree with your position on Brandon. He more than anyone else in the organization is responsible from turning this archaic and sclerotic organization into a modern and normal functioning organization. The line of demarcation of positive change was when the ailing owner turned over the keys to the franchise to him and gave him the authority to fully act on his behalf. Prior to that point he was executing the wishes of the owner for the simple reason that it was his job to do so. Russ Brandon is now the president of the operation. His most important role is in structuring it rationally and staffing it with qualitive people, and then holding them accountable. In my opinion he has already done that. He is also a smart marketing and business person. But he is the antithesis of Littman who is a harsh bean counter who cares little about the performance on the field. I am very optimistic now that Russ Brandon is the current president of the franchise. I am also excited that with a new owner and a change from the fiscally tight environment that Littman enforced that he will do what is necessary to make this franchise a very relevant frachise in the NFL.

You along with Kirby and Kelly are officially called the three amigos. On the sale issue you three rode higher in the saddle than most. Your (all three) posts were very illuminating and dispelled a lot of misinformation. Although the process was well run and the timeline was relatively short for such a large and complicated deal I'm glad that it is drawing to a conclusion. I'm looking forward to mostly focusing on what is going on the field than on the business side of the operation. Again, thanks for the insightful contribution from you and your knowledgeable pals.

You made some very perceptive observations on EJ. The critique you made regarding his vision is the same critique that was noted by most analysts when he was drafted. He was from an NFL ready standpoint a raw prospect with good physical tools. He played in a relatively simple offense at FSU that was mostly first read options. The transition to a more sophisticated approach to reading defenses is going to take time. If he steadily gets better at reacting to the speed of the game then that is a good sign that he is developing into a competent qb. Although I get frustrated at the cautiousness of the play calling it is the right approach to take. I would still like to see more downfield passes called. It's apparent that CJ's lack of discipline, especially running inside, is an issue with you. It's a fair criticism. But it is my viewthat he is our most potent threat on offense that defenses have to account for. Sometimes a player's biggest liability is also his biggest asset. I'm confident that when the tally is taken his assets will overwhelm his debits and he will prove to be a major asset for the offense.

I don't want to come off as being weird but for me the most exciting play of the game was the incomplete long pass to a very open Watkins. Because of injuries Watkins and EJ have not worked together too much in the preseason and in practice. Once they get on the same page they will be able to connect on impactful plays. Watkins is going to be the receiver who will be drawing double coverage. He is going to open it up for the other receivers and also for Spiller. The emphasis of not allowing the defenders to touch the receivers is killing the flow of the game.It is giving the offense too much of an advantage. After every incompleted pass there is an expectation that a penalty is going to be called. The lack of common sense and judgment by the referrees (as they are instructed to do) is something I find very odious.

I'm so sorry this crime happened to your son. I'm glad to hear that he is doing fine. Your son faced a major traumatic event so if he needs counseling or a professional to talk to encourage him to do so. If I may ask what city did this occur in? A long time ago an individual dressed as a policeman (police type windbreaker) stopped me in my car at a construction site and cooly and calmly told me that the vehicle I was in fit the description of a stolen vehicle. He politely but firmly told me that I had to get out of the vehicle. After a second or two it clicked in what was happening. I yelled I'm the police and I went into my jacket to pull out my nonexistent gun. The individual ran off. I then noticed another person who was hiding in the bushes also ran off. I consider myself very fortunate because it was very late at night and it happened in crime infested area. Again, I'm very glad that your son was not seriously hurt.

As you astutely noted EJ is not going to be a prolific passer with exceptionall accuracy like Rodgers or Brady. That is simply not his game or will ever be his game. He reminds me of Steve McNair from a stature standpoint and the type of game he plays. My sense of him is that he is not the type of player who is going to make the quantum leap but will steadily get better the more he plays (as you noted). The play calling for him can be described as being cautious. Although I get frustrated with it (prefer more downfield throws) it is probably the right approach to take.

You can't teach football instincts. Kelvin Shepperd is a testament to that notion. Robey has impeccable field vision and he is a tough player. Whaley has come up with some tremendous value picks in Robey and Henderson. Getting some unexpected nuggest is how you enhance your roster.

I have a different take on McKelvin. Considering how the league has altered the officiating against DBs I thought he played reasonably well. The DBs are at a major disadvantage against the receivers from an officiating standpoint. All you can ask from the DBs is containment and limiting the big plays. Even when a receiver catches a pass against him the coverage is usually good. I watched snippets of other games. The officiating in the passing game has made the game difficult to watch. On every incompleted pass play you expect a penalty flag against the DBs. The marginal calls have negatively affected the flow of the game. Some of the calls against the OL in a number of games I watched were ridiculous. If an offensive lineman inadvertently barely touched a defensive lineman in the head it was called. I understand the intent of the officiating but the lack of common sense and judgment have hampered the continuity of the game. I agree with you that Corey Graham was an excellent pickup. Woods was our best receiver in this game. Although it was not reflected by the stat sheet you can see that Watkins is capable of being a special player. All I want from EJ this season is to steadily get better. He had a good start. But I wish there were more pass playsdown field. He made some nice passes to Woods and Williams. I thought EJ was very smart in avoiding taking unnecessary hits.

You are entitled to your opinion about the poster you commented on. But I consider him to be fair-minded and accurate in describing the state of the franchise. If you read his posts more carefully you will realize that he sees that the seeds of success are in place. He believes, as I do, that with a more committed owner this organization will turn the corner and enter the ranks of relevancy.