Dr. K

Maybe he can pick up Donovan McNabb to play QB. Lots of African-American players going to love playing for Limbaugh.

I expect the Bills to play conservative on offense. Last year it was almost physically painful to watch them sometimes. BUT, having said that, it DOES sometimes happen that a leopard changes its spots. Marv Levy, for instance, came to Buffalo with a long-time reputation as running extremely conservative offenses. You could look it up. I lived in Kansas City while he coached the Chiefs, and he was noted for relying on a big-back grind-it-out running game, a descendant of George Allen's Redskins offense. Fans in KC were happy to see him fired after six seasons of no success. When the Bills hired him, I thought, "Oh, crap, not Levy. They'll never score another touchdown through the air." Well, I guess I was wrong, wasn't I? He had some different talent at Buffalo, and more important, he hired Ted Marchibroda as OC, and the game had changed so Marv changed with it. The Bills went from being a team that complained bitterly when Cincinatti used the no-huddle offense against them, to the most successful proponent ever of the no-huddle offense. I don't expect it to happen with Jauron, but stranger things have come to pass.

Sure. I'm fine with Edwards going in as the starter this year, and I want to see him succeed. I was just responding to Puente, who said "I am still not sold on TE, but JP really hurt me when he bombed against the PATS last year." JP certainly bombed against the Pats in the second game last year, but TE also played a whole game against them and did little better. That's all I'm saying. NOTE: this is not an argument for starting JP this season.

Edwards played every series but the first one against the Pats in the first game last season. The Bills lost 38-7. I want Edwards to succeed, but let's not rewrite history.

Well said. Some people here will not be happy unless they run the draft room themselves.

I questioned the pick of a 375-pound RT at the time. Did you? The overwhelming response was "this guy's a sure fire success." The "bona fide" LT you talk about (on the Vikings?) did not take the league by storm. I guess he's played reasonably well, but he's no Orlando Pace.

http://www.theonion.com/content/video/nhl_..._to_big_leagues At last he gets to play professional sports.

I think this is absolutely part of the equation. And it doesn't matter how much time has passed. A guy like Sullivan, if he feels he's been slighted, will always stick the knife in. Like an elephant, he never forgets, but he also won't let an opportunity pass. That's why it's almost impossible to beat a journalist who has a soapbox like Sullivan's. He commands a space in the paper for whatever axes he choose to grind, and if someone who crossed him like JP ever becomes vulnerable (as JP's play and his getting benched have made him), he his dead meat.

Thanks for posting this. This is my take on things. I do worry about the offense, which at times made watching paint dry while having your molars drilled without anesthetic seem like a worthy alternative, but I think Jauron has real strengths. And I LIKE is calm demeanor and lack of paranoia. I have to take Bill's postings with a grain of salt--he's obviously intelligent and interesting on some subjects, but is knee-jerk on others to the point where it's not worth arguing with him.

I give the Bills a "B" on the draft. Or course, what do I know--not much. I'm assuming McKelvin and Hard can start and play well. I think the final verdict on this draft will be whether they hit on any of the other eight prospects. They could all wash out, or there could be some decent role players, or there could be a surprise like Peters (who was an UDFA as I recall). For instance, the tackle in the seventh round, who's only played football for three years, could be a sleeper. Or if the third round DE turns into a great pass rusher and can become at least adequate against the run, then suddenly this looks like a great draft. But trying to decide what it all amounts to right now is fumbling in the dark.

I've got a speaking part in the independent movie "The Delicate Art of the Rifle." I'm the first person murdered in that movie. I'm an extra in "Twilight of the Dogs."

The German teacher who was killed in front of his class before the gunman turned on the students was Jamie Bishop, the son of Michael Bishohp, a friend of mine. Jamie used to live in Chapel Hill and I saw something of him then. I have known his father for twenty-five years. Michael Bishop is a pretty well known science fiction writer, author of Brittle Innings and No Enemy But Time, among many others. Jamie was a wonderful guy, very creative, funny, personable. He did a lot of interesting phtography-based computer art when he wasn't teaching, including the cover to the collection Gunning for the Buddha, by Michael Jasper (the title sems bitterly ironic now). Given the losses so many have suffered, I can't bring myself to get into debating gun control or lockdowns or whose fault it is. I just know that too many good people died. As the writer Chinua Achebe says, "The world is not well arranged."

For what it's worth I didn't take any offense at your original post. I liked Fletcher but I remember him taking some bad cheap shot penalties at times, in particular a personal foul he took against the Patriots in a close game at the Ralph that gave them a first down after they failed on third and long, and which led to a touchdown. I hated to see him go, but I think the Bills may be better off by the end of the season, and maybe even the beginning. As for the general principle, I don't think the number of posts matters, but the content does.

Great player, good team leader. Sorry to see you go. Best of luck in Philly.

I'll take the under on the Willis return game. I agree with those who posted that the Bills will be better--not ignoring that they lost Fletcher, Clements, etc. but because the o-line will be stronger, and the young players will be a year more expereinced. I expect Losman and the offense to be much better from the start. I think this will be a motivated team, one that lost a lot of close games last season but is learning how to win.

I don't think I would run around or shout or trash talk (well, maybe a yelp or two, and a LITTLE trash talk to anyone in a Pats, Jets, or Dolphins shirt). But I'd have a quiet sense of satisfaction that would last a long time. As someone said earlier in this thread, once a champion, always a champion. I am a Kansas City Royals fan, and even though that franchise has been arguably the worst in baseball in recent years, i still remember the playoffs and world series victory against the Cardinals in 1985, when they came back from losign the first two at home and being down 3-1 in games, the first team ever to do this in WS history, and I will always have that feeling. With Bills I would multiply that feeling by 100.

Bills will make the playoffs this year. Those who are focussing on the loss of Clements, Fletcher and McGahee do not see the picture. This is a young team, getting better. All they can see is that the Bills lost some players; they are not accounting for likely improvements in the players held over from last year, and the players tom come from future moves and the draft. Last year's team was a total of about 20 points from 11-5. I don't deny that Clements played well, and that McGahee had some good games, and that Fletcher made some plays and a lot of tackles. But I don't think the difference between their play and the play of their likely replacments, will add up to a larger decline than the improvement of younger players already on the club and the addition of a strong draft will add up to an improvement. That's my story right now, and I'm sticking to it.

Signing free agents left and right is not the way to assure a good team. Most of the time it does not work. Tod Donohoe made a big splash every off season signing FA talent and making GM moves that got the reporters all excited. And nothing came of it. I like the new management's approach; they are not signing people just to be signing people. Let's see what happens.

Why do people think the Bills will draft a CB in the first round when they have Yobouty, drafted in the third round last year, on the roster already. Granted he missed most all of pre season and did not play but one game, but is he already written off as a bust? The Bills obviously drafted him with the understanding that Nate might be gone this year. So is that plan a washout? I have heard nothing to indicate the Bills are eager to draft a corner in the first round. I think they will probably draft one later, but I'm not convinced they are desperate to replace Nate, in the cover-two defense, with first-round talent.

You obviously didn't see the game. It was a busted play, not designed for Losman to throw for the end zone, but only to get the first down. But when the receiver didn't come open and the protection broke down, Losman scrambled and threw for the end zone. It was not a bad decision. It even looked like Josh Reed was held on the play, which allowed the defensive player to intercept.

Please. Do not put ANY CURRENT PLAYER on the masthead. It's the kiss of death.

I am not a McGahee fan, but I agree with this. Unless they have some brilliant additional move planned, I don't see how this is going to give the Bills a better run game.

So far, so good. Looks to me like the situation is set up for the Bills to draft for strength up the middle. DT & LB mostly. I think they will draft a CB somewhere in the mix, but not in the first round (I think they will look for one of the CBs currently on the roster to move up to Clements' spot. After all, they drafted Youboty last year with expectation Nate might be gone this year). I expect them to pick a RB (though I expect Willis to stay and start). Maybe a WR.

Given the fact that Youboty was obviously drafted with this possibility in mind, WHY do you expect Marv & Co. will draft a cornerback in the first two rounds? Do you think they are stupid? You are really getting tiresome with your completely one-note posts on this and all line-related topics. I guess we all have our hobby horses, but could you try another tack?

The first one. The Chiefs had beaten the Bills to get into it, but I ws still pulling for them. Greean Bay made them look bad in the second half.