shoretalk

I checked my Madden ... Gary Marangi is getting the call. Reliable sources say that he has been working out for years just waiting for this moment ... Isn't it amazing how the rumors on this board fly long before the guys start wearing pads? Frankly, I think Gailey is going to carefully analyze at least 3 of the 4 (I think Levi is destined to be our #3 this year) and decide who best fits his system. Gailey wants a guy with brains and skills who is going to lead ... and no we are not talking the #1 pick next year because even under the worst scenario's this Bills team will not be the worst of the NFL come January. So go out and buy the Marangi jersey's!

I think Buddy has enough savvy to not let Lynch go cheap. Every year without fail a running back goes down in the preseason or early in the year. There is going to be some team out there who will need a back like THE BEAST but until then ... either he plays in Chan's system or let him sit ... the pressure is on him and frankly, if he fails to report they can make an example out of him and hold his salary for 3 years ... then he can go looking for a team. CJ and FREDDIE ... we're in good shape!

For those Bills' fans who are seem to be 'hell-bent' on our team losing as many games as possible to draft Locker who may end up being just like the many other loser first round QB's ... I really question how you consider yourself a fan of this team. I think true fans don't begin the preseason thinking ... gee, I sure hope we lose everything so we can get this guy who looked good his junior year and who Madden rates way up there ..." With Gailey's offensive philosophy, I am confident that we will see that 300 yard game his season no matter who the winner of the QB derby is. Obviously, it is way too early to evaluate anything about this team but from the early OTA reports it appears that Edwards is the QB to beat out. I was in the Brohm camp but he seems to be at the back of the rotation at OTA's, which probably means Gailey saw something or didn't see something in the Rookie camp. GO BILLS ... even if the team performs poorly there are still other teams a lot worse off than we are so if Mr. Locker is the #1 pick next April he won't be coming our way.

I so agree with you ... I wonder where the Rush Limbaugh/Glenn Beck's of the world are when it comes time to actually help their fellow human beings. The BP/blind approval of drill drill drill disaster's costs are being paid for by BP (At least they are promising that and they have the money to do so.). The celebrities who have stepped up to help the people of the world only have so much time and to create an event to raise monies for something that is already being paid for would be foolish. Too many Americans get so wrapped up in an anti-world attitude that it is not surprising when people in the world wonder about us. I am thankful for those rich and famous who do their best to help people in need wherever they may be. But, going back to football ... I think it's great that Saints' players and management have stepped forward to help their neighbors. I do believe that players and teams have an obligation to give back to the communities that build their stadiums, pay their salaries, and support their teams. Whenever we get a player who is part of the community we the fans need to celebrate them even if their on-field abilities are not the greatest. Buffalo has benefited from many Bills and Sabres players who do more than collect a pay check.

I am not a happy camper ... I do not have HD, don't want HD, nor do I want to pay extra for HD. What DirectTV has done is mandate HD plus mandate the options from previous years like RED ZONE, SHORT CUTS, and GAME MIX. So, I am sitting here thinking ... is it more to my advantage to go back to watching the games in bars where I would be the only Bills' fan amongst a sea of Eagles' green and of course the volume would never be turned up for me to hear the game. A moment of real frustration ....

GREAT POST ... Of course the doomsaying wall posters will all too quickly go into attack mode because after all nothing good has ever happened in their lives ... players whose initial NFL exposure was negative never ever turn around into a decent player ... and who cares about community service (oh wait, one of the knocks on Hardy was that he was a problem kid) ... Although I think Steve Johnson or Easley may end up starting, what Buffalo Bills' fan (if being a fan means you want the team to win games versus being the perennial losers we are used to) would want any of our players to fail? You really have to be a small minded Dolphin, Jet or Patriots' fan to get on this board and attack players before they really have the opportunity to play and Hardy really hasn't had a true shot. So, let's cheer this kid on ... maybe his size, his speed, the TO education and his new maturity will give us a quality receiver oppositive Evans ... I sure hope so and so should every true Bills' fan.

Ok, my stomach turned when I thought that this might have been an actual trade ... just what we need is another problem child in exchange for our BEAST. I think we can be comfortable with our receiving corps' potential right now, which includes Shawn Nelson. Gailey's offensive mind-set should energize the group of wide-out's we have. I'd rather have TO back than bring in Jackson with all of his problems. Frankly, I am one of the Easley optimists and remember this guy from a small college named Kutztown that every other team in the league dismisses as a project ... why would the Bills think he could play? Well, Easley seems to be the real deal but even if he isn't I can't see adding a JACKSON headache. Carducci is saying we can't even get a 4th round pick for Lynch so our option is keep him and make him honor his contract. Some time during the season there will be a team whose RB goes down who will be desperate enough to up the ante ...

Ok, I had to look this one up ... at the end of the THIRD QUARTER in the 2009 season the Bills were trailing in only 5 of the games they eventually lost and one they won. They were winning or tied in the other 10 games. Here's the break out of END OF THIRD QUARTER SCORES and final scores from last season 1. New England -> Bills 13 - Patriots 10 * FINAL Patriots 25 - Bills 24 L 2. Tampa Bay -> Bills 20 - Buc's 14 * FINAL Bills 33 - Tampa 20 W 3. New Orleans -> Bills 7 - Saints 10 * FINAL New Orleans 27 - Bills 7 L 4. Miami -> Bills 3 - Fish 31 * FINAL Miami 38 - Bills 10 L 5. Cleveland -> Bills 3- Cleveland 3 * FINAL Cleveland 6 - Bills 3 L 6. NY Jets -> Bills 13- Jets 13 * FINAL Bills 16 - Jets 13 W 7. Carolina -> Bills 7 - Carolina 2 * FINAL Bills 20 - Carolina 9 W 8. Houston -> Bills 10 - Houston 9 * FINAL Houston 31 - Bills 10 L 9. Tennesee -> Bills 17 - Titans 17 * FINAL Tennesee 41 - Bills 17 L 10. Jacksonville -> Bills 15 - Jax 10 * FINAL Jacksonville 18 - Bills 15 L 11. Miami -> Bills 7 - Dolphins 14 * FINAL Bills 31 - FISH 14 W * Behind at end of 3rd quarter but come back to win. 12. NY Jets -> Bills 10 - Jets 16 * FINAL NY Jets 19 - Bills 13 L 13. Kansas City -> Bills 13 - Chiefs 10 * FINAL Bills 16 - KC 10 W 14. New England -> Bills 3 - Pats 17 * FINAL NE 17 - Bills 10 L 15. Atlanta -> Bills 3 - Falcons 24 * FINAL Atlanta 31 - Bills 3 L 16. Indianapolis -> Bills 30 - Colts 7 * FINAL Bills 30 - Colts 7 W So do you think maybe conditioning or coaching (trying not to lose rather than putting games away) might have been a reason for those 5 losses where they were winning or tied going into the fourth quarter? They scored 84 points in the 4th quarter over 16 games or 5 1/4 point per game. So for the naysayers who think we are so far away ... I just think with a coaching staff dedicated to winning and a strength and traning team who know what they are doing ... the Bills just might have the endurance to play four quarters and the attitude to win and score points from the start to finish ... I think the Bills are going to go for the juglar whenever they can. It might not be 14 of the games but to be ahead or tied in half the games they lost tells me that they were a better team than many on the board want to give them credit for. http://www.nfl.com/teams/schedule?team=BUF...;seasonType=REG

With a new offensive philosophy and willingness to throw the ball downfield ... Evans is a gamebreaker and we might have another one in Easley ... plus Jackson and Nelson give us both an RB and TE who will get us positive yards. Throw a coach who is willing to be responsible for the offense while instilling a toughness to his team physically and mentally and a training staff that might actually get players in shape so we don't rank #1 in IR placements ... we could very well win the squeakers ... and I don't think those perceived 'game breakers' mean all that much when you consider the revolving playoff door each season ... if the specific 'gamebreakers' were so essential then you would have the same Super Bowl winner season after season ... GO BILLS!

I have been one of those non-Roscoe fans but am willing to change my opinion. It is pretty clear that Coach Dick negatively impacted Edwards' growth as a quarterback and there's a good chance we will see a new and imporved Trent Edwards leading the team now that Mr. Don't Lose the Game Boys is not our coach. As others have suggested here ... Roscoe always looks good before the tackling starts. In prior years he was never able to do much with the ball after a reception or on reverses but this is a new decade ... it's a new coaching staff ... it is a team being designed to score points and win games. If he can translate his punt return skills to WR and if he's in the mix with Evans, Nelson, Easley, Jackson, and Spiller ... even with a weak OL we have potential to move the ball. GO BILLS!!!

The one constant about the media coverage of the Buffalo Bills is that none of the television stations nor the Buffalo News have reporters who actually go out and develop news stories. A true reporter would have been talking with Schobel, people who know Schobel, his neighbors, his former high school coach, or doing an intensive study of his Madden ratings for the 2010 season (if Madden has him in ... he's in). Time after time the Buffalo media just sits back to see what Chris Brown reports from the inside before they add a spin or two and give us their story. Whether it's a story about Lynch or Schobel or any other player or coach ... it would be great to have someone work a story. I won't even suggest that either radio station has anyone with even a slight skill in reporting ... they are too busy making up their lists or talking about their video games.

Anyone know his Madden ratings for the 2011 NFL season? That will be an indicator of his true value ...

It's all about perception and preseason play plus loving the underdog. Johnson has showed us a lot when the games didn't matter but then Coach Dick didn't give him a real shot when the games counted. Hardy just hasn't been healthy enough to be fairly evaluated ... a great catch in one game and not much more. This is the year both have a shot ... so by the end of September we will know if either of these guys is going to do anything in the NFL!

He has the size ... and maybe he has learned how to put it all together! If he does then perhaps that will be the lasting benefit of having TO on the team because TO seemed to embrace his young teammate teaching him about the game. Having a coach like Gailey will help Hardy too if one of the QB's steps up and is able and willing to throw the ball more than 5 yards down field. I don't care if we have a young receiving corps because right now pre-training camp we appear to have a good group. I disagree with the negative postings about Easley and Stevie Johnson is ready to play. Plus Shawn Nelson if he stays healthy (new training team should help this) can make plays at TE. It will all be a mystery until September but Hardy is showing a new attitude and that alone is a good thing!

CHECK THE MADDEN Ratings .... that's all any of us need! Actually, this is a good question ... obviously we don't know how the team will do but we have seen some attitude changes as well as a major difference at One Bills' Drive and that seems to be a commitment to winning and making the players work. Under Coach Dick well he was a pleasant enough fellow ... but had no burning desire to win. These guys are not like Williams was with the bull horn but the players physical conditioning is being looked at and Gailey wants both mental and physical toughness. Obviously, the OL is still a major question and the QB game of roulette is spinning wildly with the great unknown being where the ball will stop and whether that will matter. I like our receiving corps and Easley keeps impressing me on tape and from the camp reports. Plus Stevie Johnson has always had potential. So, if the QB can get the ball in the air I think we have the weapons at WR and Nelson at TE. Our running backs should be as good as any team's and our secondary is already one of the best. So ... right now it's too early to know for sure but I am definitely liking this team a whole lot more than I have in the last 5 years. Yea, TO was an upbeat move last year ... but I just thought it would help us score some but I forgot about the play to not lose mentality that was the controlling factor for our Bills.

Thanks for the source ... and thanks for the post! It was a good one and it is good to see some positive thoughts about the Bills and our players! I still think Wilson should be ranked higher ...

I like the information but either I am tired or there is no source for where these ratings or rating system comes from. Now, if it was the authoritative bible of all ratings' systems, THE MADDEN GAME, then I would know it was totally credible. I would have thought Wilson should rate higher too ... Good info ... just need to know where it came from.

What does MADDEN say? That is all that matters ... the great prognosticator of all time ...

It's so great to have an early signing ... this kid wants to play ... actually, he wants to start! He has the right attitude ... now let's see how many of our other picks want to play just as badly as he does. Would love to see Easley ink a contract soon because every report so far has this kid pulling in everything tossed his way ...

If Lynch keeps this up then it's time to show some guts and suspend him for the season on the failure to report list. With Joique Bell as our third running back (Division 2 Player of the year (8,055 total career years, which is ninth in NCAA history and fifth in college football history in scoring with 97 TDs) we can survive without THE BEAST. Obviously, if Lynch was the player we saw in his first two years things might be different but every time he went in for Jackson last year most of us were sitting there waiting for Fred to be back in. And, the greatest injustice of the season might have been the amount of playing time Lynch received at the end of his suspension even though Jackson was already the best Bill for the first four games.

I agree that there is not a single player in the world who is going to publicly rip his current coaches because that would be suicide. However, what is very interesting to hear is the subtle and explicit critiques of Coach Dick. In fact, the comments that are not quite direct might be the most telling. It is so clear that we have just escaped from what might have been the worst example of head coaching in team history and we have had some other real "winners" but Coach Dick's basic philosophy of playing not to lose rather than playing to win big really tells the story. I really am hopeful about where we are going ... no one will really know until we get through training camp and a couple of positions are decided. Of course, we could do a complete Madden analysis and that way we won't have to watch any games this year. GO BILLS

It's so sad that we have been the #1 team in injuries for the last few years ... the firing of Rusty Jones was one of the worst moves the Bills' ever made! The more we learn about what was going on at One Bills Drive the easier it is to understand what happened during the Dick years ... It's not that the TV's were bad ... it's the fact that the players were not "coached" into getting into football playing shape. It sounds like they were doing less than I did when I played high school football more than 25 years ago.

The questions is ... can Roscoe deliver as a slot receiver? Brown's story that Roscoe is beginning the OTA's in the slot doesn't mean he will stay there. The challenge for Parrish is to establish toughness as a wide receiver in the Gailey sense of toughness, which means mental alertness as well as the physical ability to make plays. Frankly, I don't think Roscoe has the mental toughness ... the thinking lapses as both a receiver and last year as a punt returner have me really wondering about his thinking process. As for physical toughness that may be more related to his diminutive size but I do not recall him ever breaking lose from an opposing defensive player after catching a pass. All that comes to my mind are receptions for 2 yards, minus 5 yards, 6 yards, etc.. He just does not seem to be able to do anything with the ball unless he has the relatively wide open field as a punt returner. I am still trying to find some link to Donald Jones video highlights ... do they exist?

GREAT JOB PTR ... it is amazing how many have lost the ability to laugh and enjoy! Of course, I have realized the daily need to keep current on Madden's ratings and memorize them so as I watch NFL games this fall I can rattle off each player's Madden numbers so I can determine which team is going to win ... this is in addition to my Mel Kiper worship chapel that still has Clausen's oh so worthy life size poster hanging in hopes that the Bills will fool Carolina into a trade (wait, Russell for Claussen... this might be the fulfillment of the Kiper dream)

Oh my ... with a Madden rating like that he is a MUST for the Bills! We need to start paying closer attention to the Madden scores for all of our players and those who fall short just cut em! Sadly, I don't own a Madden but the more I read postings from others here on the board I am starting to become a believer in this system that can forecast exactly the playing success for every rookie in the league. Russell is a gemstone ready to be polished ... ok, so with his blubber it will take a lot of polishing but Buddy time to get this one done ... we need MADDEN points really badly especially after the pathetic Madden draft we had ... I plan to make sure my entire family begins to memorize the Madden ratings so that we will understand football better in the coming weeks and months ... Can't wait to see this whale ... whale of a player ... in a Bills uniform. Open up the bank and let him in!