starrymessenger

In no way that is meaningful is Josh Allen comparable to EJ Manuel IMO. JA is demonstrably capable of executing in a way that EJ never was. Never. Forget the stats. Look at the tape. I never wanted EJ. I entirely agreed with Bud Elliot's pre-draft evaluation of him in Tomahawk Nation (a nightmare that came true). I agreed with the Patriot's board that had EJ slotted as a a fifth round pick under the caption "athlete". Josh Allen is 100% legit as a high first round pick. Allen can do what EJ never could. He just needs to do it more consistently. That boils down to coaching and patience. The only thing that EJ and JA otherwise have (had) in common is that they are (were) both raw and in need of refinement, but you can say that about all college QBs. Not saying that JA will fully realize his potential, but he has a chance. EJ never did.

People change jobs all the time. Nothing wrong with that. But saying he would quit if the Bills drafted Allen was stupid. Doubling down and ostensibly actually doing it is doubly stupid (whether it's the true reason or not). I wanted Rosen but Allen is full value as a legit early first round pick with a chance to be great. So I question his judgement and ability as an evaluator of football talent as much as I question his behaviour.

No doubt JuJu and Kupp, operating in a more receiver friendly offence, outperformed Zay last year. And true they were drafted later. But Corey Davis and Mike Williams were both drafted way before and they pretty much struggled as well. I would still take Davis and Williams ahead of Kupp (and Zay) every day and twice on Sunday. So hopefully Zay too falls into that group of young receivers who take a while to acclimate. JuJu's case is different IMO. I had him figured for a stud at the next level and I think that's been confirmed. Wish we had landed him but kudos to the Steelers who clearly know wide receivers.

Yeah, along with the truth about Elvis's two headed lizard baby.

But but its all a big witch hunt lol...

Well maybe she shouldn't have used a private server but the Prez conducts the nation's business on a burner phone.

I like it that way too.

And don't forget all the money she made running a child sex ring out of that pizzeria.

Be wary of what you wish for.

Actually I think that's Ben Carson's game. Oh and I wasn't directing my comment as a criticism of anyone on this board. But I don't think it was off topic given the discussion of respect (or the lack thereof) for Vietnam vets.

What I find most bizarro is the disrespect of Senator McCain's service by members from the self-proclaimed "patriotic" end of the political spectrum. But such are the times we are living in it would appear. Two steps forward, one step back. Rinse and repeat.

I wonder whether there will be consequences to the owners' action, and whether they have thoughtfully considered them. Time will tell.

To me there are two aspects to the owners' decision. First is the issue of legality. Can the owners do this without infringing First Amendment rights? Idk the answer to that question myself and I'm not taking the opinion of amateur constitutional lawyers on a message board as gospel either. If the owners are exercising their legitimate private law rights with no infringement of the players basic personal rights then so be it. The second question though is whether one agrees with the owners' decision, whether it is lawful or not. That of course is simply a matter of individual opinion/political persuasion. Personally I disagree with the decision but that's just me. Regardless I doubt that we have heard the last of this now. Might have been better to just leave it alone.

Well like I said I'm not a doc so I don't know. But I believe that once they dissolve many people don't stay on the blood thinner (Coumadin?) and go back on the meds only if the condition recurs. In other words if he falls into that group you wouldn't have to worry about him bleeding out if he broke the skin while playing, assuming that was the concern. And football isn't like boxing or the octagon either. Of course the condition might have other potentially negative consequences for a professional athlete playing a contact sport (stroke, cerebral hemorrhage?) so idk. Anyway I'll be interested to see if he signs with another team. If not one would have to assume that his particular condition isn't safe for football players to have. It's a shame really. This guy had the makings of a good OT, would have been schooled by one of the best in the business in Dante, and would definitely have gotten his shot with Solder gone. I feel for the guy, he's said to be a great kid too.

True, but he is good at finding a way of overcoming his (many) mistakes.

It would appear that the Pats doctors failed him but that his own doctors had recently given him a clean bill of health. He has lost weight (at 6'6" 300 lbs when drafted he was already needing to bulk up) but the weight loss was not illness related but because he was the unable to practice. Looks like the Pats lost patience and there is some speculation that they would take the cap savings and maybe bring him back later. Im not a doc but I thought his condition could be managed with blood thinning clot busters and regular oversight. At least that's been my experience with people who have had this condition.

Patriots have released OT Tony Garcia for NFI. He was Pats 3rd round pick (85 overall) in 2017 out of Troy and was considered an outstanding prospect and probable Solder replacement. Didn't see the field in 2017 because they found blood clots in his lungs. According to the player he was given a clean bill of health and the green light to resume football activities a few months ago. Kid wants to play and the thinking is he will be pursuing his career with another team. Could that team be the Bills?

Wow. Lookin good lol. I hope this sample is not representative.

Correct. Wyo's O is basically power run. Something people should keep in mind.

I have a hard time seeing Dez in a Bills uni. Even if he's not the elite player he used to be he would certainly upgrade this WR corps from a playmaking perspective, but for many reasons, some Bills related and some Dez related, it's not a good fit IMO. If there is any truth to the rumour though I find Beane's interest encouraging. Means he's always looking to be more competitive and wants to improve on a somewhat successful 2017 campaign (rather than dedicating 2018 100% to development).

I've never seen so polarizing a pick. From 30,000 feet it looks as though Allen gets support more from scouts and coaches and less, much less, from media pundits and fans. It will be interesting to see who winds up being right and who is wrong. I think this FO and coaching staff have pushed all their chips on the Allen square and if he fails, especially if he fails badly, it will be a heavy indictment of their ability to evaluate players at the most important position on the field. And it may even be reasonable to generalize the result as a comment on whether traditional/conservative ways of thinking about the job requirements are old fashioned and outdated (or not). Although (as a fan) he would not have been my choice, especially with Rosen on the board, Allen was to me always legit as a first round talent, albeit a risky pick. So boom or bust. Im not that concerned about his footwork and related mechanical issues. There is lots of good tape of him doing things the right way to say hat he is capable of overcoming these difficulties with good coaching and reps. The real question has to do with his ability to master the mental aspects required to play the position at a high level. So reading a defence pre-snap, audiblizing as required, reacting to post-snap coverage changes (disguised defensive sets), going through progressions, making the right decisions, overcoming his youthful over- reliance on his cannon arm, knowing when to throw it away rather than play hero-ball, when to take a sack etc...It certainly is a good sign that he's intelligent and has intellectual capacity. The playbook should not be a problem for him. But the required execution depends more on having that instinctive-intuitive ability to react quickly and accurately to the on field action as it develops than mental capacity as such. Having that would enable his outstanding physical gifts to fully translate. Not having "it" means he will fall short, possibly far short, of the lofty expectations the Bills evidently have for him. I really don't know how this will turn out.

I have no problem with the Bills favouring Allen over Mayfield or Rosen after a careful comparison of the skill sets. And we already know that Allen has the highest ceiling. I'm prepared to credit and respect their professional opinion. Both Mayfield and Rosen have hurdles to overcome if they are to be successful, as do any rookie QBs. But if these two guys were taken off the board for reasons related to their "intangibles" (or perceived lack thereof) I can't say that I would agree with the decision unless the Bills know a good deal more about them than is available for public consumption. Both guys may have "personalities" that may at times make them more difficult to work with but TBH at the end of the day I saw all the QB prospects this year as good people serious about their craft - no Ryan's or Jamarcuses. If I thought that Mayfield or Rosen had a better chance of succeeding on the field than the others I would not have taken them off the board because of their personalities. I understand "character" to always be a legitimate and vital concern, but it seems to me that an organization that better knows how to deal with and manage different "personalities" has access to a broader talent pool and a better chance of succeeding.

I'll be interested to see how Shane Tucker makes out. Liked his highlights. Really know nothing about him tho.

Because Siran Neal. He bad.

He's actually quite raw and needs work to be sure, but I'm not as down on him (yet) as you are, not nearly. No one is saying that he has Josh Allen's upside but like Allen (and almost all young QBs) the question is "can he learn" and "is he coachable". He seems to have a good head on his shoulders.