uncle flap

The pessimist in me thinks that UB got that vote from either Quinn, or someone trying to bolster Baylor's bid for a better bowl game. The optimist in me thinks that it's a sign of things to come and this year's squad is not simply a flash in the pan. However, the great season so far won't mean a thing unless they keep making noise from here on out. I'd love to see the NY branding pay off, and get some more top recruits in there.

I don't really disagree with anything, except necessarily going with EJ over Hackett. I think the jury is still out on both, but I'm higher on Hackett than I am on EJ at this point. Maybe Hackett was a mistake, but from a purely Xs and Os standpoint, I like what I've so far. As far as not calling plays or game planning to help EJ, I think it's too early to assume that EJ can't execute what Hackett is calling (although EJ is certainly making a case that he can't), and more importantly, I don't want an OC that isn't confident in his first round QB. Whether or not EJ can or is willing to make those plays, Hackett should expect his QB to make them. I don't want to rehash all the nuances of the play calling and game planning that we've already discussed here. I'm just not going to fault Hackett for wanting and expecting EJ to execute. And if it's true that he has to adjust his game plan to cater to EJ's apparent deficiencies, I'd prefer that they get a QB that brings more to the table. If not, we are looking at Chan and Fitz again. A limited QB that can only succeed with a very specific game plan. That isn't going to amount to many wins. I'm not calling EJ a bust either, but I'm simply not ready to fault Hackett when it seems to me he's providing EJ with a blueprint to succeed, and EJ isn't fulfilling his end of the bargain. I'll be firing up the all-22 on this one because I seem to recall WRs coming open, but EJ unable to find them.

I'm just going to copy my text form an email I wrote to my buddies earlier today. It's kind of a stream of consciousness read, and I didn't really proofread it. I was just really frustrated with EJ yesterday and couldn't help but look ahead to the draft. I'm also far from a CFB expert so I'd appreciate everyone's input. I won't quote it so you can quote parts if you like. Here's the text: _____________________________________________________________________________________________________________ I haven't given up on EJ per se, but I haven't seen enough for me to outright dismiss drafting one of the top rated QBs coming out of this draft. Off the top of my head they have only a few "needs" in the draft: I'd take a beast WR- big speed guy who can win jump balls. Mike Evans not super fast but a 6'5" beast. There's maybe 5 guys I'd target but doesn't seem to be a Julio or AJ clone out there this year. I'd take another corner. The gators have two real good guys and there are a lot of p good corners coming out. Again about 5 I'd consider in the first two rounds, and maybe a dozen that are worth a pick in the first four rounds. I'd definitely look at an interior lineman, altho I don't know enough about the prospects to really make a guess as to who or where they should draft one. Glancing at projections it seems there's about 5 Gs with a top 3 round grade. I'm sensing a trend here. I'd take a TE, but with what's out there it looks like a big drop off after the first round. However, there's a guy that got kicked off of the ducks for snorting yayo and would be worth a flier. He prob would be in conversation for first TE drafted if not for the drug arrest. Lastly, I'd like to see another LB picked up. Khalil Mack is the obvious choice, but there seems to be a lot of good talent out there, so I'm thinking maybe they should wait til the second or third day to pick one up. So, all that considered, unless they can get Mike Evans, I'd pass on a WR in the first. Should be a solid CB available in the second or third, so can pass on CB for the first. First round also too high for a guard IMO, so they can wait on that too. IMO that leaves only a few options for the Bills first round pick. Evans likely gone by the time they're up, so do they take the top or one of the top TEs? Do they take Mack or CJ Mosely? Or wait and get a more traditional ILB like Skov out of Stanford in the second or third? I submit Whaley and co. should take a looooooooong look at the glut of QBs that should be there in the first. I don't really have a favorite. I like Bridgewater a lot but he's probably going to the Jags. Don't know that Mariota will translate to the NFL, but I won't outright dismiss him. Manziel has his well documented issues, but talent trumps all. Boyd, McCarron, Murray are all viable options as are the kid from LSU, and Hundley from UCLA. Since QB is the most important position, and the BIlls don't exactly have any glaring holes that must be addressed in the first round, they should probably grab a QB. My super duper early mock: 1. QB- I won't put a name here bc it depends how important mobility and the read option are to the Bills. Mettenberger form LSU is safest pick, but isn't mobile at all. Otherwise it's basically a toss up between Mariota (hasn't been asked to win games with his arm), Manziel (immature boozehound), and Hundley (upside upside upside- similar to EJ, has all the tools but isn't the most polished passer). 2. Zach Martin ND- LG. He's actually an LT, but projects to G in the NFL. Should be available at our second round pick. 3. Shane Skov Stanford ILB. He may not be there by round three but if he is I think hell make a perfect compliment to Kiko. If not, I'd go for a corner or TE - Colt Lyerla is the druggie from Oregon I mentioned above. Roberson and Purifoy are the top two CBs at Florida, but they've got another in Jaylen Watkins who could be available too. 4. Deon Belue Bama CB - Assuming they picked up Skov in round three, I want them to take a flier on a guy who was a five three (edit) star recruit and is the #1 corner for an elite defense. 5. L'Damian Washington Mizzou WR- 6'4" sub 4.4 40 WR. Already has 9 TDs this year. His stock will probably rise at the combine since he's been timed as fast as 4.30 in the 40 yard dash. But if he's there, I'll take him 6. Asa Watson NCState TE- Ben Watson's little brother. Stand up guy and academic all american. 7. Avery Patterson Ducks FS- Really talented but on the smallish side for a FS which reflects his draft position. __________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ So TBDers, I ask 3.5 (lol) questions: 1. Whether or not you think the Bills should draft a QB in the first, who would you prefer they take if they do? 2. If you don't think they are taking a QB, or shouldn't take a QB, who do you think they should take? 3a. Would you take the draft I laid out here? 3b. Am I just way off with with where I've pegged guys going?

Agree with basically everything here. I haven't given up on Manuel yet, but what concerns me the most is that he was making the same sort of mistakes that he was making earlier in the year. I would have hoped his time in the booth would have opened his eyes to what he was leaving on the field. That isn't to say he can't develop into the franchise QB that we want him to be, but I think it's almost irresponsible not to draft a QB in the first to at the very least provide some competition for EJ, when EJ hasn't put a stranglehold on the starting spot, nor silenced his critics as of yet.

What is your specific beef or beefs with the play calling on Sunday? It's nice that we can compare Hackett's calls with QBs other than EJ in there, because early in the season I was mad that the Bills (and by extension, Hackett) weren't taking what the D was giving them. As the season wore on it became clear to me that it was EJ not making the plays, rather than Hackett's poor play design and/or play calling. Sunday's game seemed to further bolster this idea. Like I've said throughout this this thread and in others, I'm not saying Hackett is perfect, but simply that I don't think he deserves the criticism that he gets on this board and on the whiner line. I'm totally open to the argument that Hackett could maybe call plays that would help out EJ more, but I don't see many examples where that would be the case. It's absurd to expect a rookie OC to be perfect, and I saw open WRs all over the field that EJ wasn't finding. I can't put that on Hackett.

I made most of these myself. Hmm I can't embed that last one bc too many images in one post

Re: the field conditions, this picture was taken ten minutes ago Doesn't look too bad.

As always, much thanks to you, Dan! 1. I heard Marrone talk about changing some things up in the Red Zone. I agree some tweaks may be in order, but my impression is that in the Red Zone, the same "problem" exists on the other 80 yards of the field: execution. That said, I don't want them to miss opportunities because they're running something that hasn't been practiced enough or where the players aren't sure of what they're doing because it's completely novel. EJ's biggest issue when he was in was trying to force things rather than take what the defense was giving. Simply put, "Don't get cute, exeCUTE!" lol 2. See above: EJ needs to see the field better than he has. Yes, those deep throws were off target, but on many of them, Woods or another receiver was breaking free over the middle for an easier throw. I know he hasn't gotten a lot of live reps, but hopefully his time in the booth has allowed him a valuable perspective on where he can anticipate WRs coming open. 3. I'd also love to see Easley get on the field more. He's more of an outside guy, so I don't think he's necessarily in direct competition with Hogan for snaps, but Hogan is essentially worthless IMO. If they do line him up inside, I want to see them try to use his size and speed to exploit the seam. 4. Agreed. The entire front seven should reap the benefits. Kiko should have a clear path to the ball carrier, in addition to the front four getting after the QB. 5. I think they might be designing the kickoffs to be fielded just shy of the goal line. With the short field, perhaps the Bills think that if they make the returner field the ball in play, they can get to him before he gets to the twenty. Not a bad strategy if they can execute. WIth ball being kicked from the 35, it's not unreasonable to expect your coverage team to get there in time, they just have to execute. I'm not a fan of Crossman, and I'd rather play it safe and just give them a touchback, but maybe that's a nod to analytics. As far as the field conditions, even if it slows down the Bills speedsters, the advantage still goes to the offense. I'm hoping Hackett takes the field into consideration and dials up some play action or pump and gos to exploit the DBs who should have trouble changing direction and/or recovering from an initial misstep. GO BILLS

LOL So Whitlock isn't FREE to offer his opinion or his interpretation of the story? Sheesh, I didn't realize only whites were allowed to mock and belittle blacks. THEY should know THEIR place, right? I thought that was actually a fairly apt comparison considering the degree of culture shock likely experienced by Martin. The parallels might be sensational, but it's an inherently sensational story. No matter your thoughts on what may or may not have happened, the simple fact that a player left a team alleging improper conduct by his own teammate(s) is quite extraordinary. Sure, it's been a circus, but it's interesting to read people's interpretations, speculations, and prognostications. There's nothing wrong with wanting to reserve judgment, but don't we expect reporters and columnists to explore every angle? I think it'd be a lot more boring if there simply wasn't any coverage because the writers "just don't know" exactly what went down, or were unwilling to try to put together a story beyond the simple facts. There is a social/psychological angle at play here. It isn't the same as simply rattling off so-and-so's rushing total in yesterday's game. But obviously, you've got it all figured out, so perhaps those who were looking for some insight into something they don't know much about should read your column instead.

It certainly is, although I wonder if it is something that can also be chalked up to hazing. EDIT: Not that any of the individual incidents can't or shouldn't be considered hazing, but put all together AND considering it apparently wasn't perceived as "normal" hazing by Martin makes it plain to me there's something more going on than Martin being a poor sport and/or mentally weak or whatever you want to call him. I'll admit, my stance has evolved as more info has been made available. However, I still think it boils down to the players, coaches, and mostly RI as the apparent ringleader, not recognizing that their brand of "tough love" wasn't being received as intended, nor achieving the desired outcome. Maybe more info will clear this up, but I'm still basically baffled that there wasn't anyone who was able to see how Martin was taking it, or was willing to intervene. Like Florio mentioned in that article, I agree that it seems pretty unlikely that Martin's ultimate goal is some sort of lawsuit settlement. That isn't to say he won't sue down the line - I think the Dolphin's and NFL's response/resolution will play a big part in that. But if his goal was simply to build a case, he isn't helping himself by releasing statements or evidence publicly.

Right, but like I said earlier, everyone gets a privacy screen. It would be exceeding difficult to take a picture of someone else's ballot, if not impossible. You are also provided a file folder to cover your ballot for the time you are not behind a screen. It is definitely illegal to photograph someone else's ballot without that person's permission. However, cameras are most definitely allowed in polling places. Ever watch the news on election day? There are plenty of shots of politicians and "regular" citizens casting their votes. I'm not sure what you're saying is a misdemeanor, but I think you might be looking at outdated legislation. This has come up in at least the last 2 presidential elections, and I can assure you it is totally legal to publicly display a picture of your own ballot. Even in NYS: http://www.syracuse.com/news/index.ssf/2012/11/posting_photos_of_your_ballot.html

I guess that's in relation to your definition of what's frowned upon. It's definitely legal to take a picture of your ballot and post it publicly. The only legal issue is when an employer or some other party demands that you provide proof that you voted a certain way. Everyone has the right to a secret ballot, and they also have to right to waive that secret, provided it's of their own volition, and not coerced like in the above example.

I guess it's possible. I mean I'm sure if you went back and said you made a mistake and needed a new ballot it wouldn't be a big deal, and they may give you some grief for wasting a piece of paper on a joke. He said he cast that ballot, and it is certainly less trouble for him to do so than for him to fill out another ballot, so I assume he's telling the truth. His ballot was in my district and none of those races were highly contested so it's not like his lack of a "real" vote made any impact.

You have access to privacy screens while you fill out your ballot. There's an ample opportunity to snap photos then. Plus the guy who did this is on twitter and is acting as if he submitted the ballot, so I don't think there's any reason to think he didn't. Also, even if there weren't privacy screens, it's perfectly legal to take a picture of your ballot just like it's perfectly legal to write in whomever you want.

Electing judges is a good thing. Voting for one of them just validates the back room deals made to have them each run on both tickets. That's what's really a joke. If you're saying that judges should be appointed, who should appoint them? Elected officials? Who are influenced by special interest groups? Well, that's what we've already got. ----- I also don't get the outrage over a guy wasting a ballot for the sake of a joke. Most people don't even vote, and most of those who do are seriously uninformed. If one guy wasting his vote is enough to get someone riled up, I'd have to image that same person probably can't sleep at night knowing how few people are truly actively participating in the process.

See, this is what I don't get/take issue with. Even if Martin is a "kitty," I think that makes it worse that he was targeted by RI. I agree that what RI might have done could be somewhat typical for any given locker room (although, I do think he's likely on the extreme end of the spectrum). However, I think what really "amplifies" the egregiousness, is that I think RI knew how hard Martin was taking it, and instead of letting up, or letting Martin know it's all in good fun, he piles on to the extent that Martin decides he needs to leave the team. I suppose it's possible that Martin didn't let on how much it was bothering him, but I don't think that seems to be the case. As a true bully does, RI spotted a weakness and exploited it. Like I said upthread, hazing and the like are meant to bring the players closer, not alienate them. Furthermore, I'd be more understanding of RI's position (and those who file this type of stuff as routine for the NFL), if Martin crumbled during his rookie training camp. But I think RI identified Martin as someone who was on the edge and did everything he can to push him over for a prolonged period of time. I've given scrubs a hard time on teams that I've been on. In high school we even had kids quit over it. It's part of the initiation process. Yes, there is some "weeding out" of the players who can't hack it, but IMO this is far beyond that initiation phase. Especially on a professional level, not just as dumb kids who aren't mature enough to fully grasp the weight of their actions. It's not a matter of locker room culture to me, it's a matter of RI going overboard, regardless of Martin's disposition. Exactly.

I was just about to post something similar, but you nailed it. While I think there is *some* validity to the idea that Martin's personality/temperament "invited" the bullying, that only makes it worse in my mind. What I'm trying to say is that even if you want to boil it down to Martin simply isn't "tough" enough to deal with a jerk like Incognito, the fact that Incognito seemingly enjoyed picking on a guy who is unable or unwilling to defend himself makes it that much worse. As it's been said, there are likely jerks and bullys in every locker room. But it's one thing to tease a rookie or a young guy who can take it. Maybe Martin did a good job of not outwardly showing how much the teasing bothered him, but I have a hunch that Incognito knew how uncomfortable he was making Martin, and that just made him that much more of a punching bag. IMO, that's what makes Incognito such a dirtbag. Not that he bullied Martin in the first place, but that he continued to do so when he knew damn well Martin wasn't going to or willing to fight back. Whether or not that's a fault of Martin's can be debated but that doesn't excuse such mean-spirited behavior. I know hazing and stuff is commonplace, but it's meant as an initiation process and an exercise in team-building. From what is alleged, it sure doesn't seem like that to me. Maybe Martin is "weak" or suffers from anxiety or whatever. Maybe he's not cut out for the stress of playing professional football. Maybe he overreacted. I'm just not buying, "hey, it's football," as an excuse for Incognito's pattern of behavior toward Martin, if we are to believe everything that's being reported.

Smells fishy to me: http://regressing.deadspin.com/arian-fosters-personal-stock-offering-sounds-like-bull-1447360031 (There's some strong language, so move along if you're easily offended)

Hmm... Off the top of my head... Basically all of them. WalMart Exxon McDonald's Ford GM... A much shorter list would be the multibillion dollar entities that do actually do a good job of taking care of their retirees. I hope you're being sarcastic. If not, I'll say a prayer for you.

Some more details here: http://espn.go.com/n...ins-leaves-team http://www.nfl.com/n...after-breakdown http://msn.foxsports...onathan-martin/ So, Martin visited the hospital, and it seems that there was ongoing bullying/harassment/pranking/whateveryouwanttocallit and this cafeteria incident was "the last straw." I echo the sentiments of others: There has been a quality discussion here that I would hope is educational to some. Kudos to those who have shared their personal experiences. Approximately 25% of US adults suffer from some type of mood disorder. Some are better equipped to cope than others, and internal chemistry vs external stimuli can create some really tough situations. That seems to be the case here. Some people get the support they need from those closest to them. Perhaps Martin's teammates didn't intend to make Martin "snap," and probably had no idea he was taking the "ribbing" to heart. I'd hope that's true, and not that they were amused by a guy who seemingly let "teasing" get to him. What is more "wrong?" Grown men habitually teasing another grown man, or one grown man having a hard time with it? When I was a kid, I was kind of a bully, and in retrospect I feel awful about it. The difference is that as I grew older I realized that it was a s****y thing to do. Why would anyone blame the victim? What's "wrong" in my opinion, is deriving joy from "hurting" another person, even if it wasn't meant to get so serious. I'm not saying the other players are sadists, but their behavior is more flawed than someone being too "sensitive," IMO.

Looks like Jonathan Martin had been bullied by his own teammates and couldn't take it anymore: More here: http://profootballta...-from-dolphins/

Well, there's no way to completely predict the future, but it seems very likely that if they did what you are proposing, they would be in cap hell for the next 2-3 years at least. I thought my original post made that pretty clear, but to simplify: By taking the hits this year, they would have about $17 million in space next year. Instead, they now have about $20 million in space. Your way would seem to leave them with about $2 million to play with, based on my estimations. The way the Bills have done it leaves them with about $5 million in space, again estimating for re-signings/FA replacements. The "problem" is not that the way that they structured the cap hits, but that they didn't find a way to spend the surplus that they had this year. To some that signals a cheap FO, but to me I think they tried in earnest to spend a chunk of it and just couldn't seal the deals.

Thanks for the props, fellas. I'd be happy to start more threads like this if people are interested. I usually don't use the All-22 service unless a particular play comes to mind I want to rewatch, so this helps me feel like I'm getting my money's worth. Let me know if you guys have any requests in the weeks going forward. Even when we disagree, I truly enjoy these discussions. The board gets hard to read sometimes, and I'm glad there are those that are interested in having a conversation rather than an argument. What's funny to me is that I see I was guilty of a kind of confirmation bias. I used the same evidence to back up my gut, when that evidence actually isn't as convincing as it would seem. Bouncing my thoughts off of you guys helps us all see things in a broader perspective. Like I said upthread, I didn't want to beat this to death. It wasn't like that single play cost the Bills the game, and the Saints are really the ones who deserve credit, rather than the Bills failing to field a perfect defense. Looking forward to doing this again soon- let me know if I can be of service!

Yeah Stills motioned right to left to start the play. Searcy appeared to yell toward Hughes, so who knows if there was supposed to be an adjustment on the fly. I agree it's mostly credit to the Saints. Great play design that would've likely yielded a big completion no matter the coverage. Brees probably looked off Byrd, and also hung into a collapsing pocket with Kyle right in his face.