VOR

From the time of the combine (early March) to the final 2 games (late December) is almost 10 full months. You can easily add real muscle mass within this time frame.

LOL! So the answer is to blow-up the FO. Because that's the easy/surefire solution. Please armchair GM's, give me what you think would be a better plan on the OL. I'm all ears.

I wish the Bills had started Bell at LT at the end of last year, during the 2 games Peters missed. At least we would have had a better sense of where Bell stood.

nm= no(thing) more.

Considering the season Peters just had, I'd ask for what he got if I were Jones as well. But failing that, nice knowin' ya, Levi.

I'd like to know what his "metrics" looked like the years prior, when Favre wasn't behind center. While the gist of the article is it's the OL and not the RB, it doesn't factor-in the QB.

In 13 starts, Butler gave-up 1 sack and had 3 penalties. And the run game averaged 5.2 YPC behind him. How this qualifies as "terrible" is unknown.

Maybe he would have still been the 6th OL again. What I was saying is that the Panthers aren't infallible when it comes to their OL, otherwise they would have kept Hartwig last season.

If you're trying to say that the Panthers not naming Hangartner a starter is proof that he's not one, it's as faint a criticism as you say the praise for him being better than Preston/Fowler is. It's also the same line of reasoning that had some claiming that since the Jags were willing to unload Stroud, he was washed-up and the Jags would be better for it. The Panthers aren't infallible. To wit, they let Hartwig go prior to last season, and all he did was stay healthy for 16 games and anchor the O-line for the SB-winning Steelers. Meanwhile Kalil and others got injured and the Panthers had to call on Hangartner to start for them, and they didn't miss a beat. And the Panthers wanted him back, and the fans did as well, but the Panthers have no cap room. That says something since fans usually trash a player who leaves.

Vontae loves Vontae some Vontae.

In a similar vein, Bob Costas interviewed Michael Jordan live in the Bulls' lockerroom after they won their first NBA championship. Michael is sitting there embracing the trophy, crying, and sitting next to him is his wife Juanita. After some questions, Costas looks at Juanita and says to Jordan "Michael, I see your mother is here." Jordan stops crying, looks up with a wry smile, and says "thats my wife." Ouch!

The signing of Dominic Rhodes makes it a lot better. I'd still rather have Lynch, but Jackson and Rhodes will be fine.

I don't see what the big deal is. You can tell from the article's title, or at worst the first few lines, as to what it's about, so you don't have to read it. It's a nice little back story. Maybin's been poked and prodded the last month, with questions about his weight being answered at his pro day (he was 250# and ran in the 4.6's), he's relentless on the field, and has a great work ethic.

Would you have felt more comfortable with Peters skipping the entire off-/pre-season, and maybe more, again, if the Bills didn't commit almost 10% of their salary cap to him? Dockery at LG? Preston/Fowler at center? Royal at TE? Because hey, they played their positions for the Bills last year. Is the situation ideal? No, it's not. But Hangartner is a guy who looks to be a significant upgrade over what the Bills have had and will be playing his preferred position. Wood was drafted to be a starter. Butler player RT in college, so it's not like it's totally unfamiliar to him. And Walker will get help at LT should be prove not to be up to the task alone. Levitre at RG is more of a concern, but the Bills will get that group together ASAP and see what they've got. As I said, at worst they keep Butler and Walker on the right side, start Wood at LG, and start Chambers of Bell at LT and give them help. But if they want to make wholesale changes, they must think the other combo will be the best one ultimately, with the caveat that Bell will replace Walker at LT down the line.

Obviously you know nothing about Hangartner, yet talk like you do.

And you know better?

Sure. Since Hangartner is the only guy who is penned-in to start, at center, the Bills could keep Butler and Walker on the right side, have Wood start at LG, and Bell or Chambers start at LT. That would create the least amount of disruption.

Please.

Jones? I like the proposed O-line except that Walker at LT is far from ideal. I expect him to get a lot of help.

Maybe not the best secondary, but one of them. And definitely the best in the AFC East.

The "he destroys lockerrooms after 1 year" is overblown. I've used it as a way to say that he won't be a problem for the Bills this year. But the only team who he created problems with after 1 year was Philly, and that was mostly contractual and respect related. Jerry Jones made a mistake and he's a fool if the thinks that getting rid of TO will suddenly make Romo a good QB, or make Roy Williams a bonafide #1 WR.

I finally did a little looking-into Maybin versus Orakpo, who was the guy most everyone else wanted. Forgive me if this is repeating things already stated. For starters, Maybin just finished his redshirt sophomore season, while Orakpo finished his redshirt senior season, and as you would guess, Maybin is almost 2 years younger than Orakpo. So if anything, we should be comparing Maybin's past season to Orakpo's 2006 (redshirt sophomore) season. And during that season, Orakpo was 238#, and he got up to 250# for his junior season. I don't know what he benched, but I'm sure it wasn't 31 reps and was probably closer to Maybin's 22 reps. That tells me that Maybin definitely has room to grow and get bigger and stronger. Other things that set him apart from Orakpo are work ethic, desire, and his first step/explosion off the snap. Erik Flowers had none of these things and was a parting shot by Butler to Ralph.

I fail to see how Nelson not being a great blocker hurts the offense so much, considering he's a receiving threat? As it stands, teams will be loathe to put 8 in the box, with Evans, TO, and Reed at the WR positions. Now the insert Nelson at TE and teams will need to cover him with a LB or S, probably set a little further from the LOS than he would against a slower TE. On a run to the other side, there is no issue. On a run to his side, Nelson gets in the defender's way and allows the OL and RB to do their jobs. Or the defense says "it's the rookie TE who can't block, it's obviously a pass," they play nickel but the Bills run and have win matchup that way.

I'd love to see Favre come back, play for the Vikes, and get revenge on GB. It would make the 2009 season incredibly interesting.