polish lover

Actually, most people who know what they are talking about are saying that should Merriman leave after this season, the Bills will get either a 4th or 5th rounder compensatory pick depending on how much Merriman signs for with another team. The Bills also have the option of putting the franchise tag on him thus forcing him to stay in Buffalo. This could be a real option if he turns out to still be in prime form. It is also possible that Merriman comes up to Buffalo, finds he enjoys playing with his friend Maybin, becomes a difference maker for the team and likes the love the fans give him. If Merriman actually enjoys the 4am last call scene, he might be enticed into signing a long term deal. If you think about it, the Bills are moving in the right direction, given their record they will likely get a very high draft pick and be able to add another playmaker to the squad. Merriman could sign with some team that looks like it is more of a contender and get stuck on a crappy team next year a la Dallas. Nothing is guaranteed in the NFL.

Merriman will improve this team just by being there as an influence to the young players

You folks who think the Bills wouldn't take a player because he dates strippers crack me up. The Bills could care less about character, they don't hold players to any higher standard than any team. You need only look at some of the guys who have been on the roster recently who have been suspended to know that the Bills are not afraid to take thug players. half the guys in the NFL are thugs. I think the only reason the Bills may pass on Merriman is the fact that he has been struggling with injuries and on the field the last few seasons. Personally I'd grab him up, its a low risk move and the Bills could really use a nasty LB.

I believe the Bills will claim Merriman. I have been following this story for a while (they announced that they would release him when he cleared his physical a few weeks ago). This is not a case of San Diego losing faith in him in any way shape or form. This is identical to the Bills release of Kawika Mitchell. Both players got semi serious injuries early in the season and both teams decided that they could not afford to take up a roster spot for most of the season with an injured player especially since there is no way to know for sure if they will heal up quickly enough to come back this year. So both the Bills and the Chargers put solid LB's on IR even though their injuries were not season ending (and not even close to career ending). coincidentally both players finished 2009 on IR so they were kind of sick of sitting on the sidelines. Both players asked their team management if they could be released to waivers should they become healthy enough to play before the season is over. That is exactly what has happened. Mitchell however is nowhere near the caliber player that Merriman is. Merriman is EXACTLY what the Bills defense needs right now. A beast of a Linebacker like that could dramatically change the performance of this defense. Last year this secondary was one of the tops in the league. They still are not allowing a lot of yards in the air (mostly because teams are running so easily, why pass? especially against a team that is actually loaded with Ball hawks). Merriman comes in, adds a serious pass rush threat, helps close up the run game (even a little) and the Bills Defense will look significantly better, it doesn't take much to improve from here. But if they can force a few turnovers and slow down the running game a bit, the offense is good enough to win some games. just hopefully not too many because we need a seriously high draft pick.

The Bills have first pick of waivers due to their last place in the league standing this year. Such was stated in the Randy Moss coverage. I think its possible that the Bills passed on Thadeus Gibson because he was a 4th round pick who has failed to make the active list for the Steelers so far this year. He has been so unimpressive that the Steelers decided to cut a guy that they just drafted in 2010. As much as the Bills need linebacker help, I'd rather not see them fill up the roster with guys who can't make the cut on other teams. Especially considering they will most likely have first dibs on Shawn Merriman in a couple weeks. WAIVER SYSTEM Section 1. Release: (a) Whenever a player who has finished the season in which his fourth year of credited service has been earned under the Bert Bell/Pete Rozelle Plan is placed on waivers between February 1 and the trading deadline, his contract will be considered terminated and the player will be completely free at any time thereafter to negotiate and sign a Player Contract with any Club, and any Club shall be completely free to negotiate and sign a Player Contract with such player, without penalty or restriction, including, but not limited to, Draft Choice Compensation between Clubs or First Refusal Rights of any kind, or any signing period. If the waivers occur after that time, the player’s Player Contract will be subject to the waiver system and may be awarded to a claiming Club. However, if such player is claimed and awarded, he shall have the option to declare himself an Unrestricted Free Agent at the end of the League Year in question if he has a no-trade clause in his Player Contract. If such player does not have a no-trade clause and the Player Contract being awarded through waivers covers more than one additional season, the player shall have the right to declare himself an Unrestricted Free Agent as set forth above at the end of the League Year following the League Year in which he is waived and awarded. (b) Whenever a player who has finished less than the season in which his fourth year of credited service has been earned under the Bert Bell/Pete Rozelle Plan is placed on waivers, the player’s Player Contract will be subject to the waiver system and may be awarded to a claiming Club. Section 2. Contact: Coaches or any other persons connected with another NFL Club are prohibited from contacting any player placed on waivers until such time as the player is released by the waiving Club. Section 3. Ineligibility: Any NFL player who is declared ineligible to compete in a preseason, regular season or postseason game because of a breach by any NFL Club by whom he is employed of waiver procedures and regulations, or any other provision of the NFL Constitution and Bylaws, will be paid the salary or other compensation which he would have received if he had not been declared ineligible, which, in any event, will be a minimum of one week’s salary and, when applicable, expense payments. Section 4. Notice of Termination: The Notice of Termination form attached hereto as Appendix G will be used by all Clubs. If possible, the Notice of Termination will be personally delivered to the player prior to his departure from the team. If the Notice of Termination has not been personally delivered to the player prior to his departure from the team, the Notice of Termination will be sent to him by certified mail at his last address on file with the Club. Section 5. NFLPA’s Right to Personnel Information: The NFL shall inform the NFLPA of player personnel transactions communicated in the Personnel Notice between the NFL and its member Clubs concerning the termination or trading of players including awards on waivers, termination through waivers, confirmation of trades or any change in the status of players (e.g., placed on Reserve Injured, etc.). The NFL will make best efforts to communicate the information referred to in this Article to the NFLPA on the same day, but in no event later than noon on the next day. A player who is terminated shall, upon request at or around the time of termination, be informed by the terminating Club of any claims made upon him by NFL Clubs during that League Year. The same information will be provided to the NFLPA if requested. Section 6. Rosters: The NFLMC shall supply the NFLPA with an opening day and final roster for each Club. Rosters shall consist of the following categories of players: Active; Inactive; Reserve Injured; Reserve Physically Unable to Perform; Exempt Commissioner Permission; Non Football Illness/Injury; Practice Squad. Section 7. Procedural Recall Waivers: A player with four or more Credited Seasons who is subject to procedural recall waivers from the Reserved/Retired or Reserve/Military status, and who opts for Free Agency in lieu of assignment, cannot, during the same season, re-sign or return to the Club that originally requested such waivers. PRACTICE SQUADS Section 1. Practice Squads: (a) The League may elect in any League Year in accordance with this Article to establish practice squads not to exceed eight (8) players per Club. The League’s election in any one season shall not determine or affect its election in any subsequent season. (b) The League may elect to allow some or all Clubs to add to their practice squads one additional player, who shall not count against the limit above, whose citizenship and principal place of residence are outside the United States and its Territories (“International Player”). The League’s election in any one season shall not determine or affect its election in any subsequent season. Such International Players shall be subject to the same terms and conditions of employment that apply to other practice players except that they (1) may not, during the term of their practice player contract, negotiate or sign an NFL Player Contract with any Club; and (2) may not practice with any Club following the last Conference Championship Game unless both Conference Championship teams have such a player. In addition, notwithstanding the provisions of Section 4 below, such International Player shall be eligible to serve on a Practice Squad for three additional seasons after the completion of the player's year(s) as an International Player. As set forth in Article XXXIV, Section 3, the weekly salary for such international players shall not be included in the employing Club's Team Salary and shall be deducted from the calculation of the Salary Cap in the same manner as any Player Benefit. Section 2. Signing With Other Clubs: (a) Any player under contract to a Club as a practice squad player shall be completely free to negotiate and sign a Player Contract with any Club at any time during the League Year, to serve as a player on any Club’s Active or Inactive List, and any Club is completely free to negotiate and sign such a Player Contract with such player, without penalty or restriction, including, but not limited to, Draft Choice Compensation between Clubs or First Refusal Rights of any kind, or any signing period, except that such player shall not be permitted to sign a Player Contract with another Club to serve as a practice squad player while under contract as a practice squad player. (b) Notwithstanding Subsection (a) above, a practice squad player may not sign an NFL Player Contract with his Club’s next opponent later than 4:00 p.m., New York time, on the sixth day preceding the game (except in bye weeks, when the prohibition commences on the tenth day preceding the game). Section 3. Salary: Minimum salary for a practice squad player shall be $4,700 per week for the 2006-07 League Years, $5,200 per week for the 2008-10 League Years and the 2011 League Year if it is an Uncapped Year, and $5,700 per week for the 2011 League Year if it is a Capped Year and the 2012 League Year, including postseason weeks in which his Club is in the playoffs. Section 4. Eligibility: (a) The practice squad shall consist of the following players, provided that they have not served more than two previous seasons on a Practice Squad: (i) players who do not have an Accrued Season of NFL experience; and (ii) free agent players who were on the Active List for fewer than nine regular season games during their only Accrued Season(s). An otherwise eligible player may be a practice squad player for a third season only if the Club by which he is employed that season has at least 53 players on its Active/Inactive List during the entire period of his employment. (b) A player shall be deemed to have served on a Practice Squad in a season if he has passed the club’s physical and been a member of the club’s Practice Squad for at least three regular season or postseason games during his first two Practice Squad seasons, and for at least one regular season or postseason game during his third Practice Squad season. (A bye week counts as a game provided that the player is not terminated until after the regular season or postseason weekend in question.) Section 5. Active List: If a player on the Practice Squad of one club (Club A) signs an NFL Player Contract with another club (Club B), (1) the player shall receive three weeks salary of his NFL Player Contract at the 53- player Active/Inactive List minimum even if he is terminated by Club B prior to earning that amount, and (2) Club B is required to count the player on its 53-player Active/Inactive List for three games (a bye week counts as a game) even if he is terminated or assigned via waivers to another club or is signed as a free agent to another club’s 53-player roster or another club’s Practice Squad prior to that time. If the player is terminated from Club B’s 53-player roster and signed to Club B’s Practice Squad, he shall continue to count on the club’s 53-player Active/Inactive List but shall not count against the eight-player Practice Squad limit until the three-game requirement has been fulfilled. If a player is terminated prior to the completion of the three-game period and is signed to Club B’s Practice Squad or is signed or assigned to another club’s 53-player roster or Practice Squad, any salary (as that term is defined in Article XXIV, Section 1©) that he receives from any NFL club applicable to the three-game period shall be an offset against the three weeks salary that he is entitled to receive from Club B. Any team can place a waiver claim within 24 hours during the regular season. Priority is given to teams in inverse proportion to their current record/standings in the league. Thus, currently Buffalo has priority over all other teams on waiver claims. I can't find any mention anywhere of any rules stating that your waiver priority is effected in anyway by claiming a player. As long as the Bills are the team with the worst record they will have first priority on waiver claims.

i used atdhe for the first game and havent been able to get it to work yet

Based on your post, you don't really understand what Modrak does. Modrak is the head of scouting. He organizes his team of 20 guys who go around and scout out college players. They then use a rating system to rank the various players based on various categories: intelligence, athletic ability, size, intangibles etc. Then a huge list of all the draft eligible players, all ranked and sorted by position is presented to the GM and Head coach. The GM and Head coach and often Ralph then take a look at the top ranked players still on the board when it comes to their time to pick and they try to make some kind of judgement call. At this spot there is no QB worthy of the pick but there are two DE's that have potential. Do we take this guy who has great physical speed but less experience or do we take this guy who is big and tough but has less athleticism? Jauron and Brandon decided to go with Maybin. Not Modrak. Modrak does not make the picks he evaluates the players. The problem is that the guys making the picks were Brandon who is not a football guy and Jauron who clearly had no clue about any position but secondary. The only time I would blame Modrak is when they take a guy like McCargo in the first round who was generally not considered 1st round talent by any other team. That falls on Modrak and his staff. Modrak doesn't draft anyone, he does player evaluations and then the HC and GM decide which guys to pick. They may talk to Modrak about a player if they need more info but the call is made by the GM and HC and sometimes ralph.

I was never on the trent wagon, I think he blows, but he did have the best preseason. Granted the other guys were never really given much of a chance with the starters.

The Bills may very well pick Ponder (I actually think he could be a decent QB in the NFL) but there is absolutely no reason to take him in the first round. Assuming the Juniors don't come out early, there aren't too many great QB's in the senior class. I personally hope that the Bills take a DE or OLB with the first pick and get the pass rush going. The defense is clearly a much bigger problem on this team. I just hope they don't take Locker. That guy is a loser. My problem with Luck is that his name is luck which I can't help but see the headlines "unlucky Luck" when he doesn't play well in the NFL. We just cut Stanford's last great QB prospect. Isn't that enough? Let's get a QB that plays in a truly dominant college program.

too bad we no longer have a defense www.buffalorumblings.com he has actually been pointing out through his rating system that for the most part the only player not playing acceptably well on the line has been Green who has been terrible. So I'm not surprised that Howard playing well resulted in the whole line looking better.

Actually, if you consider that the Bills Defense is actually ranked ahead of the Patriots Defense, the Ravens won't be able to score that many points. The Ravens as a team are only averaging 1 point more per game than the Bills, With Fitzy at the helm the Bills are averaging 5 points more per game than the Ravens. One has to figure the Bills Offense will not do well against the Ravens D, but they have had two weeks to work on this. This game will come down to the Bills Offense. The D is bad but it doesn't have to be that good to slow down the Ravens Offense. Making hot headed comments about rolling over the Bills and going into the bye week is the kind of thing that teams that are looking past an opponent do. I smell upset. It may be the only win the Bills get all year, but....

Sorry, your argument seems logical but it isn't based on fact. Ralph actually has dished out the cash before and there is no way he will trade out of the pick. More likely the team will give a huge salary to the totally wrong player.

Fitz is also tied for 11th in TD passes this season but has played 2 games less than all the other QBs on the list. I guess that was just luck too.

In three games Fitz has a 99.9 QB rating (compared to Trance's 58 for two games. Based on QB rating Fitz is currently ranked 6th best in the NFL. Kind of hard to bench a guy under those circumstances no matter how much you want to see what Brohm can do. He is also tied for 11th in the league for TD passes yet everyone else ahead of him or tied with him has played in two more games. Every QB misses a few throws, Fitz isn't doing it any more than anyone else. He's over 60% in completions just like 2/3 of the guys in the league. the bulk of the league falls in the 61-65% range where Fitz is. 12 guys are worse than him in that category and only a few have exceptionally higher numbers. Drew Brees is the only guy over 70%. They won't consider putting Brohm in until the team is officially eliminated from playoff contention. It feels that way to us fans right now but technically speaking they could still end up 9-7 and get a wild card. NO I DO NOT THINK THIS WILL HAPPEN. But the team won't do any drastic moves like benching a QB who is playing effectively to look at a prospect until that point. unless Fitz either gets hurt or starts playing terribly for several weeks in a row, don't expect Brohm to see the field. I actually wouldn't be surprised if he doesn't get a start until maybe the second to last game if at all. Fitz is playing well, they won't waste their time with Brohm if Fitz is playing effectively.

The collective Bargaining Agreement and potential work stoppage are all scheduled to be worked out long before the draft. I'm not saying they will have it fixed, but they will already know by draft day whether there will be a season or not. I have also heard that there are 2 different legal safeguards in place that pretty much guarantee that there will be a season even if an agreement is not reached. essentially there will be another uncapped year if there is no agreement. The players don't get rich sitting out. The NFL doesn't make money not having a season. Some form of a CBA will be established. The likelihood of a holdout is not nearly as great as the media makes it out to be. http://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2010/10/13/kevin-mawae-robert-kraft-agree-cba-can-get-done-this-year/

You do realize that I wasn't talking about Ponder in my post?

This is not my writing but it is an as of Oct 1 2010 draft assessment from some draft site: Ryan Mallett*, QB, Arkansas - Scouting Report Height: 6-7. Weight: 238. Projected 40 Time: 5.05. Projected Round (2011): 1-2. 10/1/10: Mallett's team is winning and he's putting up good stats, but if you take a closer look his accuracy is highly inconsistent, he has poor mechanics, and he struggles with mobility and has a hard time eluding pass rushers. Mallett is a bit of a statue in the pocket and doesn't create throwing lanes outside the tackle box when his receivers struggle to get open. We're not buying the hype anymore, and neither should you. 3/29/10: At 6-7 with a massive arm, Ryan Mallett looks like a franchise quarterback. His 2009 numbers (3,624 yards, 30 TDs, 7 INTs, 9.0 YPA) will tell you that as well. He's a bit raw and needs to work on decision-making, but he could easily leapfrog Jake Locker on this list next year. Based on this assessment I think that Mallet would get knocked unconscious in the first game at least with the current Buffalo line. Even if we bring in some guys it is likely that it will be a while before the O-line solidifies...

one of those two guys will definitely make themselves eligible for the draft this year if not both. especially if they have strong seasons like they are having. The reality is that these guys are not really getting much of an education. they spend all their time playing football. They can go back and finish their joke degrees later or do summer programs while they are playing in the NFL as many players have done in the past. If they are still talking about these guys going top 5 in 2011, they are not going to pass up on $40 million dollars to finish their "education". Going back for another year is high risk, you have a bad season or get hurt and it can cost you $30 million or more. I wouldn't spend any pick on Locker, he has bust written all over him. But I think the Bills will draft him.

He'll be there. They will all be there when we are on the clock

I agree but I think they have made a pretty strong statement of intent to draft a QB with the #1 pick. If they get some OT's through FA this coudl work out. I think the middle of our line is fine. I'd rather see them bring in veterans for the line than draft picks.

I think that starts looking like overkill. I like the Harrell Idea and taking a QB in the first round, but they have to get some OT's TE's LB's and DE's at some point too. more likely they will keep fitz around as a solid backup solution and let Brohm, Harrell and the #1 pick fight it out

you have more confidence than I do that the Bills will draft the "right" player and not buy the hype. The problem I have with Mallet is that he is a pocket statue and will likely get clobbered behind the Bills Offensive "line"

Since it looks like the Bills will have the #1 pick or close to it, they should have their choice of any QB in the draft. Ralph seems to be saying that they plan to use the pick for a QB, so the question is: Which QB SHOULD the Bills pick? and Which QB WILL the Bills pick? To start it off, I think the Bills should draft Christian Ponder from Florida State But I think the Bills will pick Jake Locker from University of Washington

actually Shawn Nelson was not activated until monday, so I'm not sure what game you were watching...

The logic of this post is completely flawed. Going 0-16 doesn't guarantee everyone will get fired. This staff was just hired so they will get a grace period of at least two seasons. So 0-16 won't result in anyone getting fired. What it will result in is a major drop in ticket sales which will result in blackouts and the Bills moving up on the list of teams that might be moved to a new city. Wouldn't that be great if we go 0-16 and the LA Bills get the number 1 pick? 0-16 will just put the Bills in another infamous category. Isn't being the only team to lose 4 back to back super bowls enough humiliation? Now we have to be in the list of worst teams ever? No thanks. I would never root for the team to go 0-16. The Bills don't necessarily even need the #1 draft pick, anywhere in the top 4 should be good enough to get a high impact player.