TimGraham

No insider info, but he's expected back for minicamp next week.

I just went back and dug around a little more. From a 2003 Seattle Times story about Seahawks GM Bob Ferguson: A couple of days after Butler died, Ferguson got a call from Chris Berman, the ESPN draft host who also was a friend to both. In fact, Berman and Butler were so close that Butler sometimes used to tell the announcer in advance who he was going to pick. "Chris said he talked to him a week before he died, and he was really at peace with things," Ferguson said. "He told John there was a draft coming up. And (Berman) said Big John said, `I'm not sure I'm going to make this one.' "

Here's a big hint. Berman was quoted in the San Diego Union-Tribune on Butler's passing: ESPN commentator Chris Berman cited how helpful Butler had been to him through his draft analyses. "We have lost a big man, but he made us all a lot bigger. I don't know how many people you can say that about," Berman said. And I never heard it myself while watching drafts, but another San Diego U-T story I recently today noted how Berman's cabbie had tipped him off to Chargers picks after Butler left Buffalo.

The receivers were fine last year. Aside from Royal and Lynch, nobody dropped the ball. The play calling went with short dumps and they couldn't unleash Lee Evans. http://myespn.go.com/blogs/afceast/0-7-56/...-receivers.html

Here's an indicator of how the nation's economy got so out of whack. When I moved to Florida, I was preapproved for a mortgage that would have allowed me to buy 1 Deer Run. That was a red flag because there's no possible way I could have afforded that -- then or now. Two years later, I'm at ESPN and making roughly 40 percent more than I did at the Palm Beach Post and have a credit score over 800. But I can't get qualified for a modest home in Tonawanda.

I just revised this post with new info. Just wanted to let you know in case you read the early version. http://myespn.go.com/blogs/afceast/0-8-138...know-about.html

I had a real estate friend of mine do a search of rental properties, and the one in Orchard Park was an exact match. Not many rentals in that price range in WNY.

Maybe I can co-sign for T.O. and we share it.

I saw this earlier and just posted a blog on it. Thought it was pretty funny he would Tweet the address to call out the owners. I waited to hear back from the listing agent but he didn't return my call. http://myespn.go.com/blogs/afceast/0-8-135...r-for-T-O-.html

You Vondrook!

My high school played a 4-4. And I was the safety for two years. No pressure ...

That clinches it. I have a new favorite TSW member.

You're overestimating my appearance.

I think I'm blushing.

It happens. The Bills the year they had a season-long campaign to get Sam Cowart into the Pro Bowl stands out.

If true, this is a strange report. First of all, Crowell still was the starter at the time Bowen got hurt. But the thing that doesn't add up for me is that when Bowen went down, I was told by a source who would know that the Bills pegged Bowen as their "fifth or sixth" linebacker and almost purely a special teamer. Granted, Bowen could have worked his way into the starting lineup with a great camp, but the period up until he got hurt was all the evaluation Fewell would have had to go by ... And if Bowen was projecting as the fifth or sixth linebacker then, how could Fewell declare he would have started for Crowell with no additional information?

Don't mind me ...

Hey, everybody ... I want to invite you to my new Facebook page. While this was something ESPN constructed for me, I will use this as my personal page. So drop and say hello. I'm going to try to have the same type of fun there as I do in my chats. We'll talk everything from beers to wing joints to video game to favorite Simpsons episodes to music ... and a lot of football. http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?sid=d0...&ref=search I also have a Twitter account for those who want to see what posts on my blog the moment I hit the publish button: http://twitter.com/espn_afceast

I like this photo a lot more than the other one. I'm actually about the same weight in both photos, but I think I've redistributed it. I actually used to be able to convince people I was a college high jumper. It's tougher these days. They think I threw the shot. As for Pats practice, I saw the whole thing. The NFL mandates at least four OTAs be open to the media and that was their second occasion, the first with Brady present. We got to watch the entire 90 minutes. As for how the defense looked, it wasn't the type of practice where you could tell much. Much was done at half speed. Players were getting their terminology and gaps down. Of course, there's no contact.

Virtually impossible to know because tackles aren't an official stat. Each team records its own tackle numbers, and this is a pet peeve of mine. It shouldn't be that difficult to define a solo tackle and an assist, but the NFL has been unable to do it and leaves it up to each team. NFL.com does accumulate tackles as they're listed in the stat packet at the end of each game. That's where they get their numbers that people are quoting above, but those stats are obsolete just a couple days after the game when the coaching staff releases its tally. So for me to know where Schobel ranked at any given time, I would need the media notes from each of the 32 teams for that specific week. FYI, when I write about a defensive player and list his defensive stats, I use the team figures, not the NFL figures.

MattM ... No offense, but I'm not even remotely interested. I covered the Sabres for six years. I know all the conspiracy angles out there that the corporate sports world hates small-market Buffalo. Conspiracy theories are a crutch to carry on a loser's mentality. That's just my opinion. Three rules I have, especially when seated at the bar, I never talk religion, politics or conspiracy theories. As for Tim Donaghy, that was one ref. To claim a league-wide conspiracy is not remotely the same.

From the Sept. 17, 2007 Boston Globe ... http://www.boston.com/sports/football/patr...ew_deal/?page=1 After seeing the footage, former Cowboys and Dolphins coach Jimmy Johnson - who works as a host on Fox's pregame show - said on the show: "This is exactly how I was told to do it 18 years ago by a Kansas City Chiefs scout. I tried it, but I didn't think it helped us." Johnson added that "every team has got a file on the other team. I used to send an intern up to the opposing coach's box after the game and go through the trash. Because after the game, what do they do? They take their game plan and their scouting reports and throw them away. My intern would get all of that stuff and put it right in the file." Johnson, who has fished with Belichick on the Florida Keys in recent years, defended the coach to a degree. "Bill Belichick was wrong because he videotaped signals after a memo was sent out to all of the teams saying not to do it," he said. "But what irritates me is hearing some reactions from players and coaches. These players don't know what their coaches are doing. And some of the coaches have selective amnesia because I know for a fact there were various teams doing this. That's why the memo was sent to everybody. That doesn't make him [belichick] right, but a lot of teams are doing this."

If you're going to tell me Tom Brady isn't going into the Hall of Fame, I am going make it a point to ignore every other thing you claim. First ballot.

That's exactly right. They won 11 games with a quarterback who hadn't started since high school. They've added a future Hall of Famer. Not that tough to understand why people think they'll challenge for the championship.

That's why other coaches did it, too. And there's a big 18 on the left side of that hyphen. You have every right to focus on the 1, because it's a significant 1. But to say them losing to the Giants in the Super Bowl proved they couldn't win without the tapes totally discounts the 18 games they won -- most of them lopsided.