hondo in seattle

It wasn't just that Schatz was wrong about Josh. Many were - and with good reason. But I never liked Schatz's hubris. When he said Allen success in the NFL would 'defy math,' he misspoke. Math was never defied; Schatz's math was defied. Schatz was seemingly arrogant enough to believe his advanced metrics would better predict NFL success than Beane's judgment or the judgment of many professional personnel guys who saw Josh as a solid first-rounder. I once heard a scout say that zero college QBs are pro-ready. They all have things to learn and improve. The evaluation of college signal callers isn't just about their current (college) skill set, it's about the likelihood that they'll grow into a good NFL QB. Work habits, dedication, maturity, discipline, intelligence, etc. come into play. Schatz's DVOA and other metrics can't measure that. Yet Schatz spouted garbage that Josh becoming successful would violate fundamental laws of the universe. Instead of now calling Allen an outlier, I'd love for Schatz to say, "My analytical tools just aren't good enough."

Schatz is the guy who once called Allen "a parody of a NFL quarterback" and also said, "the idea that Josh Allen could become an elite NFL quarterback pretty much defies math.” I can't say I trust his judgment.

Yeah, in those days reaching the playoffs felt like a fantasy. But occasionally, we'd beat a playoff-quality team and that felt great.

So you weren't a loyal follower of the Buffalo All-Americans back in the 1920s or the Buffalo Bisons back in the '40s. In other words, just another trend-hopping, clout-chasing, fair-weather Johnny-come-lately.

Me, personally, I've been a Bills fan since before Josh was born. My first memory is of Mini Max Anderson reputedly swallowing his tongue. But two or three years ago, I met some bandwagoners. They had gone to school, and were friends, with Josh's mom. Said the entire family was very nice - good people. They became Bills fans when Josh was drafted. Can't blame them.

“I love the enthusiasm, and also I would just say the energy from the coaching staff, they actually make you feel like they care, and that’s something that’s very exciting.” Apparently, he didn't feel loved in Buffalo.

Despite them saying this: "Allen’s 95.4 overall grade over the past three seasons ranks first among all quarterbacks." www.pff.com/news/nfl-quarterback-rankings-all-32-starters-2025-nfl-season

I'm intellectually shocked and emotionally devastated that no Bills receivers made the list. Then again, if the Bills average 31 points per game again, I don't really care.

Vince threw for 377 yards in his first game with the Bills, wearing the plays on a wristband before that was normal. I thought: "Man, just think how good he'll be when he learns the playbook!" He sucked the rest of the season - never topping the 300 mark again and rarely topping even 200. I guess learning the playbook is overrated.

For all those too young to remember... Preston Ridlehuber. Ridlehuber is the player who scooped up the fumble at the end of the infamous Heidi Bowl game and returned it for a TD to win it for the Raiders. In 1969, Ridlehuber played for the Bills as the third-string RB. Against the Patriots, both OJ and Mini Max Anderson got hurt (the Pats cheated even back then) so Ridlehuber came in with the game tied 16-16. Coach John Rauch called an RB option that they had practiced that week with OJ throwing the ball to the TE. But Ridlehuber, a former college QB, swept left, ignored the pressure, and threw deep to Haven Moses instead for a 45-yard TD pass to win the game. Ridlehuber only had 4 carries and 4 receptions in his short, lackluster NFL career but his one pass and one fumble recovery were memorable. 1:48 Ridlehuber to Haven Moses

I know the feeling. Let's hope his stockboy-football life turns out more like Kurt Warner's than mine.

It's a reasonable bet I had read he ran a 4.5. Not speedy. Edit: I just looked it up. Some sources say he ran a 4.50 at his pro day at SE Missouri State in 2020. Other sources say he ran a 4.46. In either case, not what I'd call a speed guy. Not sure what this guy thinks he offers that the Bills don't already have but I wish him the best.

With all the good/decent receivers the Bills have, this guy has no shot of making the 53 and little chance of landing on the PS. I wonder why he would sign with us.

I lived through that era once. Not sure why I'd want to relive it.

From AI... Athletic Profile Height/Weight: 5'11", 210–212 lbs. Noted for his athleticism, Owens posted a 9.59 Relative Athletic Score (RAS) out of 10, ranking 51st out of 1,207 free safeties from 1987–2025. Pro Day highlights: 4.58-second 40-yard dash, 4.05-second short shuttle, 43-inch vertical, 11-foot-3 broad jump. Wande Owens is regarded as a high-character, high-effort player whose leadership and on-field production have made him a standout at both the Ivy League and FCS levels. The Buffalo Bills are acquiring a versatile defender with proven ability and strong intangibles.

1975 was a great year. OJ had been running all over the place since his breakout year in 1972. But in 1973, when OJ rushed for over 2,000 yards, Joe Ferguson threw less than 1,000 yards despite starting every game. Fergie's job was to hand off the ball. Our offense was OJ, all day, all the time. But in 1975, Fergie started coming into his own and led the NFL in TD passes while OJ led in both rushing yards and TDs.

Funny, I have a very different opinion. It seems to me Hamlin understands the scheme and knows where he needs to be. But he just doesn't have the athleticism to excel.

With 32 teams, the average NFL teams have a 3% chance of winning the Super Bowl. The best teams have a more-or-less 10% chance. The Bills are one of those teams again this year. Sadly, the Chiefs defy the odds with their improbable combination of luck, a good GM, good offensive head coach, good defensive coordinator, and HOF QB.

The optimistic and cheerful folks get excited by any signing. The rest of us are happy when a weak position group gets some depth. Forrester played reasonably well when fully healthy. He won't make us forget Hyde or Poyer but he does make a weak group a little less weak. When you're close to being a SB contender, any little improvement is a cause for excitement, IMHO.

Maybe you have a good point. But right now, we have 4, maybe 5, high-quality backups (Rapp, Hamlin, Bishop, Forrest, Hancock?). We lack quality starters, and they aren't going to be found in the garbage bin of UDFAs. You don't often see DTs run fake punts! Not your typical camp body.

Bledsoe played one good half-season with us. If Josh got hurt, Bledsoe would be the guy I'd want to come in - assuming he played at the same level as the first 8 or 9 games of 2002. But as a backup, I'd want Fitz. He's a great teammate. He'd be super supportive of Josh and the entire team. He's also smart. In the QB room, and on the sidelines, he'd have some great conversations with Josh that would help elevate Josh's game. And if Fitz had to come in, he'd execute the game plan and give us a chance to win.

Here's your answer from the lips of Dawson Knox... "The dude's been playing on a torn PCL in one leg and then his other knee - he doesn't even know what's wrong with it because he hasn't had it scanned yet, but it's got so much fluid in it. Like, it's insane what he has played through... the selfless nature it takes to be able to put your body on the line for your team even when you got a torn PCL in one knee and the other knee don't even know what's wrong with it, but it's messed up too..."

Setting aside the pros and cons of signing him, do we really need another Gabe Davis thread?

I'm not entirely sure who our starters will be, but we'll have excellent backups (#4, #5, and maybe #6). I still think Brady can get better at how he schemes a downfield passing attack. In any case, we scored a lot of points last year despite our shortcomings. We should again this year.

This is a hard exercise because we have to read Brady's mind and guess how he'll use these guys. And I know from how often I disappoint my wife, I'm a terrible mind reader. But here goes... 1. Shakir 2. Palmer 3. Moore 4. Kincaid 5. Coleman 6. Knox 7. Samuel As I am so often with my wife, I wouldn't be surprised if I'm wrong with this.