tennesseeboy Posted March 13, 2007 Share Posted March 13, 2007 Isn't the more legitimate question "are the bills better today than they were at this point last year?" If so...we have a starting qb we have confidence in...didn't have that last year. We have proven talent at the O-line...didn't have that last year. We have an all pro caliber receiver and Parrish is no longer the question mark he was last year. We have a good tight end in Royal...We have a "somewhat" improved defensive line (heading into the draft). We have better safeties than we did last year at this time. We are coming off a respectable season where we almost made the playoffs. We don't have the Bizarre playcalling or coaching situation. HELL YES WE'RE Better now than we were last year at this time!!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Dean Posted March 13, 2007 Share Posted March 13, 2007 Isn't the more legitimate question "are the bills better today than they were at this point last year?" If so...we have a starting qb we have confidence in...didn't have that last year. We have proven talent at the O-line...didn't have that last year. We have an all pro caliber receiver and Parrish is no longer the question mark he was last year. We have a good tight end in Royal...We have a "somewhat" improved defensive line (heading into the draft). We have better safeties than we did last year at this time. We are coming off a respectable season where we almost made the playoffs. We don't have the Bizarre playcalling or coaching situation. HELL YES WE'RE Better now than we were last year at this time!!! Yes, that is the question and yes that is the answer (although you left out a few of the negatives). Overall we are better off now than we were at this point in time last year especially if you consider what we have to work with (draft picks, $$, tradeable players) to fill the holes we still have. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nick in* england Posted March 13, 2007 Share Posted March 13, 2007 (edited) Yes, that is the question and yes that is the answer (although you left out a few of the negatives). Overall we are better off now than we were at this point in time last year especially if you consider what we have to work with (draft picks, $$, tradeable players) to fill the holes we still have. Last years offeason ? marks: QB ? (Losman/Holcombe/Nall) RB - (McGahee) FB - (Shelton) WR1 - (Evans) WR2 ? (Price/Reed/Parrish/Davis) WR3 ? (Price/Reed/Parrish/Davis) TE ? (Royal/Everett/Cieslak) LT? (Gandy/Someone else) LG? (Reyes/Preston) C - (Fowler) RG - (Villarial) RT - (Peters) DT3tech - (Triplett) DT1tech ? (Anderson/?) DE1 - (Schobel) DE2 - (Kelsay) WLB - (Crowell) MLB - (Fletcher) SLB - (Spikes) CB1 - (Clements) CB2 - (McGee) SS ? (Wire/?) FS ? (Vincent/Baker) 9 ?s This year QB - (Losman) RB ? (Thomas/Williams/?) FB ? (?) WR1 - (Evans) WR2 ? (Price/Reed/?) WR3 - (Parrish) TE - (Royal) LT -(Peters) LG - (Dockery) C - (Folwer) RG ? (Walker/Butler/Merz/Preston/Whittle) RT ? (Pennington/Walker/Whittle/Butler) DT3tech - Triplett DT1tech ? (Anderson/Williams) DE1 - (Schobel) DE2 - (Kelsay) WLB - (Crowell) MLB ? (DiGiorgio/?/?/?/?/Crowell) SLB - (Spikes) CB1 ? (Youboty/McGee) CB2 - (McGee) SS - (Whitner) FS - (Simpson) 8 ?s EDIT: If you factor in Spikes uncertainty, you have 9?s again. Edited March 13, 2007 by Nick in England Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
todd Posted March 13, 2007 Share Posted March 13, 2007 Meh. I think you judge an offseason as a whole. Writing an article like that 2 weeks into FA is kinda stupid. Actually, really stupid. I don't always like what Bob Mathews has to say, but this is about as dead on the money as you can get. http://www.democratandchronicle.com/apps/p.../703120321/1011 Particularly, these two parts: Ouch. Ouch. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Orton's Arm Posted March 13, 2007 Share Posted March 13, 2007 Meh. I think you judge an offseason as a whole. Writing an article like that 2 weeks into FA is kinda stupid. Actually, really stupid. What's he supposed to do? He makes his living writing about sports. If his article consisted of "I have no opinion now, let's wait 'till the regular season," nobody would bother reading it. There wouldn't be links to the article, and there wouldn't be heated threads like this one arguing about his conclusions. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Dean Posted March 13, 2007 Share Posted March 13, 2007 What's he supposed to do? He makes his living writing about sports. If his article consisted of "I have no opinion now, let's wait 'till the regular season," nobody would bother reading it. There wouldn't be links to the article, and there wouldn't be heated threads like this one arguing about his conclusions. How about writing relevant, intelligent, well thought-out articles? There are more things to write about than a shallow assessment of a team's offseason performance this early into the offseason. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nick in* england Posted March 13, 2007 Share Posted March 13, 2007 How about writing relevant, intelligent, well thought-out articles? There are more things to write about than a shallow assessment of a team's offseason performance this early into the offseason. Nonsense - Bob Matthews is a man of the people - reflecting in print what is talked about in Bars and Message Boards accross WNY. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Dean Posted March 13, 2007 Share Posted March 13, 2007 Nonsense - Bob Matthews is a man of the people - reflecting in print what is talked about in Bars and Message Boards accross WNY. Oh...a moron. I get it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MDH Posted March 13, 2007 Share Posted March 13, 2007 So you have these two lines in your post: It's a totally ridiculous question to ask... period. So grading a team 6 weeks before the draft and 6 months before the season opener is retarded. And you also have these lines: Is the Oline not better? Of course it is. Is the RB situation better... yeah... simply by subtraction. Is the defense better? We don't know, but it has to be. So apparently it's only retarded to have an opinion on whether the Bills are better or worse right now if you think they'll be worse. If you think they'll be better...well, obviously that's not retarded. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Orton's Arm Posted March 13, 2007 Share Posted March 13, 2007 How about writing relevant, intelligent, well thought-out articles? There are more things to write about than a shallow assessment of a team's offseason performance this early into the offseason. True, but a lot of the other stuff has already been said by other writers, and doesn't need to be repeated by Matthews. And if you have to come up with a high volume of material, and if it's the offseason, there are only so many topics you can write about. You have your raw information--McGahee trades, Dockerey signings, etc. Then you have the analysis that builds on that raw information. If it was easy to build an intelligent analysis on top of that kind of raw information, there should be a lot of people doing it, right? Well, since the offseason started, how many posts have you seen on these boards that delivered the intelligent, well thought-out, relevant assessment you're asking for? I'm talking about posts which give you a truly deeper insight into the Bills and their chances than you would have had otherwise. Posts that pop open the hood, if you will, and show you step by step how each moving part interacts with all the others. Off the top of my head, I can't remember having seen any recent posts that live up to that billing. Maybe I've just missed them. But if we on these boards haven't been able to come up with any new, deep insights about the Bills since the offseason started, we shouldn't be too harsh on Matthews for failing to do the same. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Dean Posted March 13, 2007 Share Posted March 13, 2007 Off the top of my head, I can't remember having seen any recent posts that live up to that billing. Maybe I've just missed them. But if we on these boards haven't been able to come up with any new, deep insights about the Bills since the offseason started, we shouldn't be too harsh on Matthews for failing to do the same. We aren't professional journalists. As fans we get to be blowhards. If you're saying we should excuse Matthews because he's just doing what most others in his position do. I simply point to the two week Ana Nicole Smith reporting frenzy. I'm not big on the pack mentality. 95% of most stuff is crap and that Matthew's article is just another part of the 95%. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sketch Soland Posted March 13, 2007 Share Posted March 13, 2007 We aren't professional journalists. As fans we get to be blowhards. If you're saying we should excuse Matthews because he's just doing what most others in his position do. I simply point to the two week Ana Nicole Smith reporting frenzy. I'm not big on the pack mentality. 95% of most stuff is crap and that Matthew's article is just another part of the 95%. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Orton's Arm Posted March 13, 2007 Share Posted March 13, 2007 We aren't professional journalists. As fans we get to be blowhards. Agreed. But there are a few posters on these boards who have a very deep understanding of football. If those cream-of-the-crop posters couldn't come up with any new, profound insights since the offseason began, there might not be any new, profound insights to be had. But Matthews still has to write something. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nick in* england Posted March 13, 2007 Share Posted March 13, 2007 Oh...a moron. I get it. Bing! Winner!!!!!!!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Dean Posted March 13, 2007 Share Posted March 13, 2007 Bing! Winner!!!!!!!! Hey, I saw Blazing Saddles, too. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sketch Soland Posted March 13, 2007 Share Posted March 13, 2007 Agreed. But there are a few posters on these boards who have a very deep understanding of football. If those cream-of-the-crop posters couldn't come up with any new, profound insights since the offseason began, there might not be any new, profound insights to be had. But Matthews still has to write something. No new insights, huh? How incredibly you oversimplify and reduce thousands of posts to a simple little pat argument that supports your theory that paid professional journalists just have to write something! Showing intelligence with the written word is not necessarily a matter of content as much as it is the context and perspective that comes through and is employed through one's choice of words, sentences, phrases, etc. Content is certainly a part, but there are a lot of opinions, and even diametrically opposed opinions can both be articulated in a cogent and thoughtful manner. Matthews could have articulated his opinion in a more cogent and thoughtful manner, with a better eye to perspective and context. Is this too much to ask of a professional journalist? Evidently. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Dean Posted March 13, 2007 Share Posted March 13, 2007 Is this too much to ask of a professional journalist? Evidently. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bob in STL Posted March 13, 2007 Share Posted March 13, 2007 Last years offeason ? marks: QB ? (Losman/Holcombe/Nall) RB - (McGahee) FB - (Shelton) WR1 - (Evans) WR2 ? (Price/Reed/Parrish/Davis) WR3 ? (Price/Reed/Parrish/Davis) TE ? (Royal/Everett/Cieslak) LT? (Gandy/Someone else) LG? (Reyes/Preston) C - (Fowler) RG - (Villarial) RT - (Peters) DT3tech - (Triplett) DT1tech ? (Anderson/?) DE1 - (Schobel) DE2 - (Kelsay) WLB - (Crowell) MLB - (Fletcher) SLB - (Spikes) CB1 - (Clements) CB2 - (McGee) SS ? (Wire/?) FS ? (Vincent/Baker) 9 ?s This year QB - (Losman) RB ? (Thomas/Williams/?) FB ? (?) WR1 - (Evans) WR2 ? (Price/Reed/?) WR3 - (Parrish) TE - (Royal) LT -(Peters) LG - (Dockery) C - (Folwer) RG ? (Walker/Butler/Merz/Preston/Whittle) RT ? (Pennington/Walker/Whittle/Butler) DT3tech - Triplett DT1tech ? (Anderson/Williams) DE1 - (Schobel) DE2 - (Kelsay) WLB - (Crowell) MLB ? (DiGiorgio/?/?/?/?/Crowell) SLB - (Spikes) CB1 ? (Youboty/McGee) CB2 - (McGee) SS - (Whitner) FS - (Simpson) 8 ?s EDIT: If you factor in Spikes uncertainty, you have 9?s again. This years team has more players with a known good upside than last years team. I can base this on the 06 performance of Losman, Peters, Pennington, Evans, Williams, Ellison, Simpson, and Whitner. The easiest player to replace will be McGahee and we will do that with a draft choice. Let's see if we can get 990 yards and 5 TDs from a rookie. I say we can. We can replace replace Fletcher with Crowell or maybe a draft choice. Clements will be the hardest to replace but at least we have Youbooty on the roster with some limited experience. Dockery and Langston are gonna help this team a lot. We have several holes and another strong draft will be required. Other factors that will help are the attitude, conditioning, and coaching. All are better than in the past. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dibs Posted March 13, 2007 Share Posted March 13, 2007 This year QB - (Losman) RB ? (Thomas/Williams/?) FB ? (?) WR1 - (Evans) WR2 ? (Price/Reed/?) WR3 - (Parrish) TE - (Royal) LT -(Peters) LG - (Dockery) C - (Folwer) RG ? (Walker/Butler/Merz/Preston/Whittle) RT ? (Pennington/Walker/Whittle/Butler) DT3tech - Triplett DT1tech ? (Anderson/Williams) DE1 - (Schobel) DE2 - (Kelsay) WLB - (Crowell) MLB ? (DiGiorgio/?/?/?/?/Crowell) SLB - (Spikes) CB1 ? (Youboty/McGee) CB2 - (McGee) SS - (Whitner) FS - (Simpson) 8 ?s EDIT: If you factor in Spikes uncertainty, you have 9?s again. I'd think you'd have to count Walker as a non ? at either RG or RT. At 5 mil a year he will be expected to hold down one of those possitions....even if we are unsure which it will be at this point. I'd put us at 7 ?s......counting Spikes as a ?, but not Walker.....nor the WR2 position since the Price/Reed combo is set until management say otherwise. (I figure if Shelton was a non ? at FB last year, the WR2 spot should be a non ?) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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