hondo in seattle

In regards to the coaching changes, no HC starts with his ideal staff. Most of the guys a new HC wants are already under contract with another team. So you grab who you can until you can get who you want. In regards to the picks, do you believe McD is actually running the Bills draft? Personally I believe our GM is running drafts and no GM is mistake-free. Anyway, you don't total up the number of mistakes when grading a HC. You total up the wins. You look at the roster and ask: Is the coach optimizing his win total with the roster he's been given? Last year, the Bills fielded the lowest paid - and arguably, worst talented - roster in the NFL. Yet we didn't have the worst record. McD's win totals are exceeding the roster talent. So far, I'm giving McD a passing grade.

PFF called Levi Wallace "a star in the making" and he's getting paid beans.

And I thought Kolby Listenbee had a chance. Darn!

When I got married, I told my Filipina wife that part of the deal was that she had to be a Bills fan. It was not negotiable. Not knowing much about American football, or any sport, she easily agreed. Over the years, though, she's come to realize what I got her into: all the false dreams, scorched hopes, and ruined Sundays. A couple years ago, after commenting on the all the negative consequences of being a Bills fan, she suggested, "Why don't we root for the Seahawks instead?" I just silently glared at her with the most evil expression I could muster. More recently, however, she's developed an appreciation for the loyalty & camaraderie of the Bills mafia. Sometimes we hang out with the Bills Backers of Seattle and she feeds off the good will and unfounded optimism. And whenever we visit my relatives in Buffalo, she makes sure we include a stop at the Bills gift store at the stadium and she proudly wears the gear she buys. She'd probably think renewing our vows at halftime would be a great idea - if that was allowed.

This is a great breakdown.... but you're breaking down a raw rookie - one with obvious physical upside. No one at One Bills Drive, Two Bills Drive, PFF, or anywhere else knows how much progress JA will make this year. Some choose to be optimistic. Some pessimistic. But it's all speculation. I'm hopeful but I need to see more before jumping on the JA fan bus or joining the Negative Nancy River of Tears Club.

PFF now has 500 employees. That surprised me. I still think context matters. Is the player in the right system receiving the right coaching? Are the players around him bringing out his best - or worst? Did he have nagging injuries or personal problems that impacted his play? How committed, disciplined and coachable is the player - will he get better? Stats don't tell you the whole story but they do have an important story to tell.

It's been so many years, I don't remember much of that game - except for those last two remarkable plays. Those were unforgettable. Hooks, already one of my favorite Bills, was a hero that day.

The flu of 1918 killed something like 75 million people. If any of them were football players, I would have demanded that they postpone their deaths to suit up and play. Real men don't let a simple flu keep them from the gridiron.

IMHO, people would be talking about Brees as a GOAT candidate if he had played his entire career under Belichek.

Eli Harold. Was drafted in the 3rd round by the 9ers in 2015 when he was just 21 years. He has done little since, though he did have 4 sacks and 4 hurries playing just 19% of the snaps for the Lions last year. Has played mostly as a 3-4 OLB in the NFL but the Bills will use him as a 4-3 DE which might be more natural for him.

I think yards are an underutilized statistic for quarterbacks. As Hank Stram famously said, the job of the offense is to "matriculate" the ball down the field. And that's what Fouts did. He piled up the yards. In 1981, for example, Fouts passed for nearly 5,000 yards in a season where no other QB passed for over 4,000 - not Montana, Bradshaw, Theisman, Manning, Stabler, Jaworski, Andersen, Plunkett or anyone else. I don't dismiss Rivers' skills. But Fouts was special in his era.

It's easier to get sacks as a DE in a 4-3 than a 3-4. Reggie was great. Bruce was greater.

I hope the Bills win a lot because I'm a Bills fan. I don't care about proving anybody wrong.

Memory is a funny thing... but I remember Brown as an overrated penalty machine.

This part of the game is fascinating to me: leadership, building culture, loyalty, buy-in and so on. I've read dozens - if not hundreds of books - on these subject and appreciate the importance. I'm glad McD and the staff are digging in. But x's and o's are important too. I hope McD is also studying the latest gridiron tactical developments at both the college and pro level. And then what about preparation: walk-thru's, film-study and etc? There are a lot of theories about how to best prepare a team for a season or a game. What work is being done there?

Well, we celebrate Memorial Day in my family... usually - like today - with a family barbecue. I think those who sacrificed themselves would be pleased that we're honoring them with family celebrations. But I make it a habit of telling my wife and kids a different story each Memorial Day about a member of the Armed Forces who didn't make it home. One year, with weepy eyes, I told them the story of Bob Kalsu. Happy Memorial Day to all. RIP, Bob Kalsu.

Thanks to all who served. Prayers for all those who didn't make it back.

My thinking is similar. How much better is Kroft than the next guy up?

I think giving it to a fringe guy is intentional. "32" was unofficially retired. So the Bills are un-retiring it in baby steps, starting with a fringe guy. If Perry makes the team, it'll be really weird for old timers like me to see someone besides OJ wearing that number.

A friend of mine was once asked to babysit an actress while filming a movie on location. Her mission was to keep the actress - a big partier but not an addict - away from drugs. Well, that's quite the challenge. How do you entertain a partier without parties? Museums??? Parks??? My friend decided to throw drug-free (but not alcohol-free) parties at nice locations around the city. She says the plan worked - but only because of the limited length of the shoot. She couldn't have kept the actress out of trouble much longer. So my question is, how does a babysitter keep a trouble-maker out of trouble? I don't think you can expect sustainable success. People are who they are. Maybe a life-coach would be better than a baby-sitter. Maybe not.

I think the one thing interesting about the future of the running game is defense. Today's defenses are geared to stop the pass. Nickel is the most commonly run defense in the contemporary NFL. In the old days, linebackers used to be thumpers. Now many LBs have better coverage than tacking skills. It seems the time is ripe for a creative OC to build an offense around a strong running game to take advantage of today's defensive tendencies.

I really don't care what Prisco says (he's not any smarter than we are) but anyone watching how Beane has been managing the cap would conclude: * 2018 was a Cleanse-the-Cap year. * 2019 is Rebuild Year 1 * 2020 is Rebuild Year 2 Beane set himself up to have lots of picks and money this year, and lots of cap money again next year. It looks like he's betting big on 2020. The open question is how wisely he spends his draft and cap capital. So far, I like what I'm seeing but it's all speculation at this point.

Wow. I like Gore but I just don’t see him in the Jim Brown/OJ category.

To me, Steve is a perfect hometown media guy. He’s not as polished as some of the other national figures but knows the sport and loves the Bills.

There are of lot of running situations (3rd and 1, for example) where the D will load the box, whether the offense trots out a blocking TE or receiving TE. In those situations, Smith is a great blocker who can turn his assigned defender into a non-factor.