Billy in 4C

I like Tebow too, worst case - he can be a valuble backup and a student of the game. I couldn't object with picking a guy like him to be on the roster. He will make a team better whether he is on the field or not.

Agreed. Not sure what Bradford was thinking after seeing Stafford's contract...

The OL guys will be fine. The draft will come down to whether Maybin and Byrd busts or become legitimate starters. Everyone else is either unproven or a big risk because of a position change - if we can get anything out of those guys besides special teams it is a bonus. Nelson is the wild card - they need to find a way to get him some reps., but it might be in a flanker/split end/WR role. I'm not sure he can be an everydown TE down the line.

It's not allowing it - it's just not testing for it. Then the government decides what to do if you're caught, like anything else illegal. A few other thoughts: I absolutely could care less what the players do as long as it doesn't get them suspended or isn't morally wrong (ex. Vick). I don't feel that weed is morally wrong. Take the suspended issue off the table and I could care less. I can see the NFL's point, however, because the players ARE role models, whether they should be or not. Testing for it would most likely deter some of the would-be smokers and try to preserve the game as "family friendly". It reminds me of the NBA dress code. They had to implement that because they were losing a core audience of 35-55 year old white males who couldn't relate to Allen Iverson showing up a press conferences with his hat sideways and a possee. By lessening the pot issue, they can expand and retain their exisiting fan base and most importantly the corporate sponsors. As much as I don't like the rule, it makes sense.

That makes soon to be free agent Ashton Yabouty expendible

They have the safeties out of wack - Ko (millions) Simpson over Scott? Apparently, they stopped watching in 2007. Not sure how they rated the offensive lineman - after all, Butler was one of our best the last two seasons and Levitre is ahead of him having never played a down in the league. Anyone know how the Leodis and Roscoe are rated as returners?

Good call. It's because it's the offseason and right now everyone is 'sweet', until of course the rude awakening we face on the Monday Night Football opener.

Tim - have you heard what Pisa Tinosamoa signed for? Any terms of the 1 year deal? Do you know what the Bills' offer looked like? Thanks for your help.

Perfect. That pretty much sums up his career

JP is a 28 year old Political Science graduate from Tulane University living in a Buffalo economy. Where else is he going to earn anything close to a million dollars doing anything other than holding a clipboard. All logic points to him playing - if he doesn't he's a dumb f**k.

That's like half the players on the team

Elvis

Peyton Manning and the Indianapolis Colts run a no-huddle for the majority of their offense. They call their plays at the line of scrimmage. By the way, they've won a superbowl.

Every team in the league.

You don't need elite players to win - just ask the Patriots. He's not a savior, but adding 1-2 plays per game over Ellison could make a pretty dramatic difference over the course of a season. It's a game of inches - it's the subtle differences that makes or breaks a season. Don't pay the guy pro-bowl money, but offer him a moderate salary with incentives and let him win the job. The Bills are probably the best place for this guy to step in and start right away - so there should be some mutual interest.

Add one more... we drafted him because he was big and could box out like a center/power forward in basketball (his favorite sport). However, every time we tossed the ball to him one-on-one with a 5' 9" corner, he couldn't get position to use his height to his advantage. He is extremely raw and does not allow his size to be a strength - his size seems to impair his coordination. For Hardy, that is step #1.

1-2 plays per game better could equal 1-2 more victories. Even one extra third down stop, red zone stop or turnover per game over the course of the season could dramatically change the Bills season.

Awesome - well said. Because one of these days, without adding any more talent, DJ will all of a sudden figure out how to win and the Bills will make the playoffs... the media's logic.

How do you figure? We are in a historically low tax environment. Ralph can pass the team to his wife tax-free, but chooses not to because he doesn't want her to run the team. If he sells now, he is selling at long term capital gains which is 15%. With Barry Obama in office, they project 25-28% minimum capital gains tax rate once the economy shakes out, costing Ralph on the 10-13% minimum the value of the Bills if he waits. If Ralph truly wanted to pass the Bills franchise (not the value) down to his daughters he would have bought hundreds of millions of dollars in survivorship life insurance to pay for the 45% estate tax burden when the last spouse dies. He knows that - after all he owns an insurance company. Also, SKOOBY - as far as BMWs go - just shut it. I own a new 5-series. It's a great car but it doesn't mean you know diddly about football or any inside information. I'm not saying you do or don't but just leave the BMWs/Mercedes talk out of it.

This topic absolutely needs to be discussed. What does 2010 look like for the WR core with TO off the roster? The Bills are back to square one unless you see Hardy/Johnson as a legit #2, which is far from proven. So the decision comes down to - do you put something in place now assuming a best case scenario with TO's behavior/production or do you hope he will want to re-sign with the Bills coming off a best case scenario year? I think it would be important to understand the impact of the decision. First, can the Bills receive compensation picks when he leaves. If so, what are we looking at? Second, if the Bills wanted to keep TO after the season, is the franchise tag on the table? If so, what does that figure look like? If that is $10-12 million and the Bills can't get compensatory picks, then looking at adding a one-year extension at 8-9 million, non-guaranteed, protects you that you might lose the best #2 receiving option available next year (or be forced to spend a high draft pick on an unproven WR). If you wanted to franchise him next year it would end up costing you more than locking him up now. It also protects you if he busts because you can cut him at season's end and not owe him on any 2010 money. How can a scenario like this not be explored again?

Easy - All 5 safeties on the roster are UFAs in the next 2 years. Three this year, two next. Add in Whitner's issues and we are taking the top available defensive back. If the Bills consider Jenkins a safety, as some do, then it is Jenkins. Maybe CB Vontae Davis. I wouldn't be suprised if they take the top pure safety, William Moore from Missouri.

Agreed. The NFL's best teams have playmakers. Roscoe is one of the only members of the team who is a playmaking threat. This Bills team for whatever reason seems to get injured more than the league average - so if Josh Reed goes down, who plays slot? Johnson? Evans? TO? Hardy? None of those guys are slot players and the Bills don't have a TE on the roster who can catch over the middle. Plus what happens next season when TO is gone, Roscoe is hypothetically off the roster, and Hardy proves to be a bust. That leaves the Bills with no Z receiver, as Evans and Reed are Y and X? Again, assuming Hardy sucks. Also, the Bills are not very deep at CB and RB (1st 3 weeks at least). Do we really want 1st teamers - Freddy and Leodis back there on every return? Look what happened to Hester when he became an every down player.