cage

First choice would be to see if there is some way to make a move for Eli Manning.... probably no longer possible as they declared next year make or break. From the list I would take Hoyer and either Mallet/Locker to compete w/ EJ.... and make sure the EJ got a clear, fair shot

I think we ought to find a way to be aggressive and make a move for Eli Manning... the only guy that MIGHT be available and could lead us into the playoffs+

Good point... I think he gets a fair shot along w/ others

Clearly a bad play,... but Orton was miserable in it and shares some blame on it

He also lost the KC game miserably coming out of the bye week....

Unfortunately Orton DID. He made up his mind about this previously. I feel he should have told Marrone his intentions after the Bills were eliminated last week. He should have told him to start EJ as there was nothing more on the line and he was gone after the season no matter what. I don't get it....

I completely agree. Nothing fries me more than this non-stop QB discussion. Its by far the hardest call to make and getting it wrong it also has to be evaluated what the alternative was at the time the decision was made. We've looked and debated this in the past many times. However, over the last decade there were three times where we had an alternative choice and picked wrong. The biggest one was in 2012 trading up to take TJ Graham and then watch Seattle pick Russel Wilson a few picks later. I think Whaley has to own that one. The the other was in 2011 selecting Aaron Williams over Andy Dalton / Colin Kaepernick who were taken with the next 2 picks. This is the toughest thing by far as very few elite QBs come in later rounds. So once the top 2-3 guys come off the board in the first round, it becomes a crapshoot and its hard to pick a QB in round 2/3 while sacrificing players needed at other positions who are much more likely to pan out. Even the top 2-3 QBs in each draft have a <50% hit rate.

Wow

.... that would be the best way to ensure that that the Bills get destroyed.... big implication, national TV = ass kicking.... so my vote on that would be NO

Hopefully from the Bills... I can't believe there hasn't been much discussion about resigning him before this thread. He's turned into a total stud since the trade and he's only 26. You make a great point. While I've been loving Dareus, I feel more comfortable that we have better back-up DTs on this team to replace him than DEs to replace Hughes.... want them BOTH though!

I initially posted this response on the thread related to the Go Fund Me effort, but rather than have it buried on page 11 of a long thread, perhaps it deserves its own? I think that the effort Chevy ignited is outstanding and he's to be commended for acting and inspiring the fan-base to respond in such a compassionate way. Well done... VERY well done!! However, whatever money that can be raised in this manner is just stop-gap relief for a period that doesn't address that the root of the problem. I've seen articles now on this story on ESPN, CBS Sports, Fox Sports and a number of other major football sites. However, it hasn't received ANY mention on NFL.com, the NFL Network or the Buffalo Bills website. I think now that the fans have spoken, acted and provided some short-term relief, for this effort to ultimately be successful the conversation and pressure needs to turn to the Bills and the NFL as Talley is far from the only player in this situation. To me this is one of the first tests of the Pegulas' ownership of the team and whether there's more to it than just keeping the Bills in WNY. I'd like to see them step up and address this issue. I would also like to see reporters (and fans) begin to regularly ask coaches, active players and GMs about it at press conferences, radio shows and other call-in shows and not let them give some talking point response to dismiss it or kick it up the management chain. This should be a topic on sports talk radio, on the Doug Whaley show. Not just once, but until an acceptable response is given from the team.... and we all know what that is as we just acted. We cannot accept media trained, legal trained talking point answers on this issue and should keep pressing it. The only way this will be address is if fans turn their attention to demanding the team and league to address this. The money that was raised will be consumed at some point and if the larger solution doesn't come from the team and league, it will all be for naught. I wouldn't want to see that something tragic happened a few years from now because nothing came of this beyond some short-term relief. The answer is NOT for us to keep giving and helping, its for the team and the league to deal with their ex-players in a better way. This grass roots effort provided incredible short-term relief and now it needs a continuation by using the power we have through the social, online and radio media that we're consuming to force this issue forward. Reporters and the passionate fans who contributed to this have at it...

I think that the effort you ignited is outstanding and you're to be commended for acting and inspiring the fanbase to act in such a compassionate way. Well done... VERY well done!! I've seen articles now on this story on ESPN, CBS Sports, Fox Sports and a number of other major football sites. However, it hasn't received ANY mention on NFL.com, the NFL Network or the Buffalo Bills website. I think now that the fans has spoken, acted and provided some short-term relief, for this effort to ultimately be successful the pressure needs to turn to the Bills and the NFL as Talley is far from the only player in this situation. To me this is one of the first tests of the Pegulas' ownership of the team and whether there's more to it than just keeping the Bills in WNY. I'd like to see them step up and address this issue. I would also like to see reporters (and fans) begin to routinely and repeatedly ask coaches, active players and GMs about it at press conferences, radio shows and other call-in shows and force the issue and not let them give some talking point response to dismiss it or kick it up the management chain. Everyone with a microphone in front of them should be PUSHED to talk about it as one day in the future this could be Fred Jackson, Kyle Williams or Boobie Dixon the fan favorites of today who give their all on every play and work through injuries to get it done on Sundays.... The money that was raised will be consumed at some point and if the larger solution doesn't come from the team and league, it will all be for naught. I wouldn't want to see that something tragic happened a few years from now because nothing came of this beyond some short-term relief.

Exactly... I was saying the same thing on that last play as the announcers were questioning whether Orton had the arm strength to reach the end zone.

I just don't think I would trade an essentially proven star (maybe its a bit too early to say that) for a completely unproven QB. Look at these QB draft histories just for 1st round.... 2012 (3 of 4 busts), 2011 (3 of 4 busts), 2010, (2 of 2 busts), 2009 (2 of 3 busts), 2007 (2 of 2 busts).... and so on. Since 2000 only 14 legimate starting QBs have been selected in the first round and that includes people like Chad Pennington, Jay Cutler and Alex Smith who haven't been anywhere near Super Bowls. In addition, 23 other QBs were taken in the first round (not counting this year's rookies) who have essentially flamed out. That's a 38% hit rate. So trading Watkins for about a 1 in 3 shot is pretty risky... I'm really believing that selecting QBs is a crapshoot, whoever got one basically got lucky (yeah, I'm talking about the Pats) and probably didn't know a damn thing more than one of the other teams that didn't draft a good one. Hell of a way for your fortunes to fall in the most popular sport in the nation.

Which of this past year's "top QB on the board" would you have traded Sammy for? Bortles, Carr, Bridgewater, Manziel?? This QB stuff is REALLY difficult. I'm beginning to think that teams that find the franchise guy just got lucky. I bet back when RG3 was being drafted, people would have made that trade in a heartbeat... would you trade Watkins for him today?

OK, so a bunch of strategic things wrong with this proposition. We traded two #1s and a #4 to get him. The pick was a knock out of the park HR where he'll possibly be the OROY. There's a 50% hit rate on first round draft picks, not much better in the top 10.... and you might trade him for a #1 and #4? They would have to give more than what we gave up, given that he's turning into a star and no longer a gamble just on his college career. So by that logic and discussion of trading him would have to start with at least two #1s and a #2... or possibly three #1s

With Spiller going to IR, they'll sign another body to replace him, why not? 2 RBs going down within a few plays of each other says you have to ready. If Fred is ready after the bye, perhaps they'll make some other move, but there' will be an open spot from Spiller... it has to be filled by a RB under the circumstances

Including putting Ubrik back in the line-up

Laughing for 5 straight minutes now!!!!

I was going to say that too.... as had Jeff Teul

I think you meant Thursday,.... but EXACTLY! This exact same coaching, OC, QB carousel has been playing on the turntable for the last 15 years.... how 'f'ing ridiculous is that? This move is total BS!

Well, I certainly like what he's saying. He claims to have looked at every play. I would have liked to see some firmer statistics on each section. I would also be helpful to compare him to 3-4 other successful QBs at this stage of their career. EJs number probably look better than Tannihill (3rd year) and Geno in a side-by-side/

I wish we would rush five guys to nail QBs

Perhaps the bigger problem is to ask what is wrong w/ our running game. If you remove 3 long runs, 1 each by Spiller, Jackson, Dixon, then the YPA is below 3. In the preseason there was lots of complaining about the lack of scoring, but there were a few drives stopped on short yardage failures. In the Dolphins game there's complaints about red zone issues, but there were several drives again stopped by the inability to pick up short 3rd downs on the run. Why can't our 33x lb OL run block anymore and bad-asses like Dixon and Jackson be counted on to pick up 1-2 yards on 3rd or 4th down?

I missed this call while watching the game at a bar as they had the volume on a different game. I didn't understand this choice until the write-ups afterwards. I guess I'm dumbstruck by how you don't take the shot on 4th-1 from the Charger 43. Any coach of a play-off team would have taken the offside penalty, gone for it and converted. I think I disagree with Sullivan that this showed lack of confidence in EJ as much as lack of confidence in OL and RBs to pick up a damn yard!