hondo in seattle

I think if all 3 QBs look good in camp, they all make the roster. If one of 'em stinks it up, he's gone and we carry just two (not counting Tuel on the PS).

I don't think it's decided yet. Right now Rex sees a lot of potential in TT. But if Cassel and/or EJ outplay TT in camp & preseason, TT will not start. Whatever Rex may personally think of Taylor, he's going to trust his eyes and trust his offensive coaches and their recommendations. Given the competition isn't composed of HOFers, it's certainly possible that TT fairly gets the nod.

I want this problem!!!

I never bought the hype that EJ was on the outs. It doesn't make sense. The Bills don't have a proven starter. Why wouldn't the Bills new coaching staff do their due diligence and take their time to evaluate what they have? Given the QBs on the roster - and the lack of familiarity of these coaches with these QBs - anything other than a truly open competition would be stupid.

Wayne is spot on. PFF makes a noble attempt to 'statisfy' football but, lacking inside information, will always be doomed to failure. They (PFF) probably do a better job analyzing units (offense, defense, ST) than individuals.

Chandler was reasonably productive and my wife's favorite player. I didn't like to see him go either. But the gurus say he's not a move TE and didn't fit Roman's offensive scheme.

If you study Brady's stats over the past couple years (YPA, % Comp over 20 yards), it's obvious that he's aging. Just as bad, for him, he can't under-inflate balls anymore and that won't help his confidence or grip. Because the Pats are evolving into more of a running team, as Dorkington mentions, Chandler's reception total will suffer. Then there's the matter of Gronk. If Brady has to throw to a TE, why Chandler instead of Gronk? Clay is going to be a favorite target. Chandler will be a second-thought. I pick Gray in everything as long as Gronk stays healthy and maybe even if he doesn't.

Anyone suggesting no scuffing... .have any of you guys played with new balls? There's a coating on a just-out-of-the-box ball that makes it terribly slick. I don't think the game of football was ever meant to be played with a new slippery ball. Balls have always been broken in. If the NFL stops allowing teams to break balls in, Wilson will have to find a way to make balls that are pre-broken in and not so slick.

How to stand out? I hate to say it but don't be an idiot. It's amazing how many times media guys get basic facts wrong or just aren't up-to-date with the dynamics of the team. Read every reliable source you can find and ignore the talking heads in the national media who usually have only a cursory understanding of the Bills. More specifically: * Provide us each week with a cogent analysis of our opponent and how we match up. * Break down some All-22 film, something most fans don't have the time or inclination to do. Breaking down Rex and Roman as Yolo suggested would be great. Breaking down the OL or LB corps, for example, as the season develops would be awesome too. * Keep reading TBD. Take the best posts and turn them into articles (with attribution, of course). Once in a while the posts here are pretty insightful though the ideas aren't always fully developed or articulately professionally. Good Luck!

I certainly think so. Taylor, I think, is ahead of Tuel. Taylor was a star in college while Tuel had trouble holding down the starting job. And Cassel will have the entire off-season to learn the offensive system and that - if nothing else - should put him ahead of Orton. Furthermore, the coaching is better this year.

My guess is that EJ backs up Cassel, or Cassel backs up EJ. Either way, EJ makes the team. And I think EJ, whatever his role, will be at least somewhat better than what we saw of him at the beginning of the 2014 season. Given Taylor's athleticism, Rex's love for athletic QBs, and David Lee's history with the wildcat, I see TT making the final roster as well as a change-of-pace guy. Maybe the wildcat. Or maybe they see TT in some kind of slash role. There was some speculation coming out of college that Taylor might move to RB or WR. So maybe the Bills run some plays with EJ and TT on the field at the same time????

Sports media types aren't paid to say boring but accurate things like, "The Bills don't have the best QB situation, lacking a proven signal caller." They're paid to be opinionated, provocative: the Bills are in "panic mode." I'm just hoping one of the three QBs plays better than Orton played last year and this isn't unlikely. Cassell. In 2008 with Pats and again in 2010 with the Chiefs, Cassell proved he can be a capable starter when surrounded by the right players. We may have the right players to make him look good again. EJ. EJ learned a lot riding the pine last year and spent the off season working with a QB guru. Greg Roman and David Lee both have a track record of helping young QBs do better. T. Taylor. Always great at eluding the rush, he's had 4 years as Flacco's understudy to polish his throwing ability. If just one of these three plays this year better than Orton played last year, we're going to the playoffs.

I'm not sure what to expect from Fred this year. Last year he played hurt behind an abysmal offensive line with a terrible HC/OC. He might play better this year. Then again, his legs may have finally wore out. This is probably the reality.

That makes sense! Thanks for the clarification.

In 2011, Fred averaged 3.7 yards after contact (best in the NFL). He averaged 5.5 yards per carry that year. In other words, he was only averaging 1.8 yards before contact. That's bad OL play. Another interesting stat... B. Brown averaged 4.6 ypc with the Eagles. He averaged 3.5 with us. Because our line sucks. It's been a long time since (1) the Bills OL could reliably create push in short yardage situations, or (2) the line could open holes for the backs with any consistency. The Bills OL average Run Block ranking (according to PFF) since Freddy became the starter in 2009 is #24. I'm surprised they rate our line that good. Curiously, you cite 2007-2008 as years when the OL excelled ("one of the best in the league."). This was prior to Fred beating Lynch out for the starting job. In any case, a talented Lynch barely averaged a pedestrian 4.0 ypc behind that "very good" offensive line. With Seattle, Lynch is averaging 4.4 ypc. Apparently that line wasn't as nearly as good as Seattle's. It was, I grant, better than some of the OLs we've seen since.

True enough. Nonetheless 2,516 yards is still impressive and only 4 players in NFL history ever earned more yards for their teams than Fred's total. It's not the most telling stat but it is meaningful.

Great question. If they're innocent, why were they fired? The next question is: If this offense is so serious, why wasn't the mastermind of the plot also fired? I guess the Patriot Way is to set a high morale and ethical standard only when it's convenient.

Wrong again. Lynch and Jackson ran behind the same line 2007 to 2009. Lynch averaged 4.0, 4.1 and 3.8 ypc respectively. Fred averaged 5.2, 4.4, and 4.5 ypc. Lynch is a Pro Bowler and one of the best backs of the past few years. But when they ran behind the same line, Freddy did more with his carries, much more. In 2010, Fred was #2 in the NFL in "Forced Missed Tackles per touch" and #2 in the NFL in "Elusive Rating." The guy rarely had holes to run through but fought for positive gains anyway. https://www.profootballfocus.com/blog/2011/03/24/elusive-rating-2010/ Fred's 2,516 all purpose yards in 2009 rank #5 in all-time NFL history. Fred - in his prime - was among the league leaders in yards after contact. He achieved 3.0 YAC in 2009, 2.9 YAC in 2010, and the NFL best 3.7 YAC in 2011. In his prime, Fred was elite.

Wrong on 3 of 4 counts... 1. We had higher draft picks (Lynch, CJ) who took carries away from Freddy but Fred beat them both out in the end. 2. Playing for a losing team always taints a player's reputation. On the flip side, playing for a SB team enhances a player's reputation (For example, I don't think John Stallworth makes the HOF if not for playing on the Steelers). 3. Saying anything superlative about the OLs Freddy played behind tells me you're a stats guy. I'm not because stats can lie. I look at actual performance. In Fred's best years, the OL had very little push in short yardage situations. We ran a quick hitting passing attack to minimize sacks because the linemen couldn't sustain their blocks. And Fred was getting a lot of yards after contact because they're weren't a lot of yards available before contact. Our OL has been below average for a long, long time. Fred helped make them look better than they really were and never complained about it. 4. Staying healthy is indeed a key to being good/productive. Sadly, Fred hasn't always been able to stay on the field. Let's forget about polling uninformed fans. If you would have polled AFCE defensive players after 2011 (in other words, players who knew Freddy well), I'm convinced they would have rated Freddy as one of the best backs in the league. And forget the stats and just watch the highlights. Examine Fred's skill set. Evaluate how many free yards he got in gaping holes versus how many yards he had to earn. And watch him pass protect on blitzes and see how he contributes on every play. The guy was a beast.

Good post!!! Because Fred (1) emerged later in life than most RBs, (2) played for losing teams, (3) always ran behind subpar OLs, and (4) suffered some untimely injuries, he tends to be underrated. I honestly believe he was one of the best all-around backs in the league for a couple years. If he was our starting RB during the Levy years, and stayed healthy, I think he'd be a HOF candidate. But while I agree Fred ain't Dead, I don't think he'll have anywhere near the amount of touches and yards that McCoy will get this season. Father Time is working against Freddy and I really hope we get a playoff win this year because it may very well be the last year we see Fred in a Bills uni. I'd love to see Fred stiff-arm a defender to the ground on his way to a TD in a playoff game this Fall.

I disagree. Fred in his prime was elite. He was one of the league leaders in yards after contact one year and one of the most complete backs around. Unfortunately, he's never played behind a particularly good offensive line and his prime is now behind him. While I don't rate him ahead of McCoy, I do rate him ahead of every other RB on the roster.

I would not be okay with cheating under any circumstances. I think the principle of fair play is a fundamental American value. When I became an army officer many years ago, I had to take an oath, "I will not lie, cheat or steal; nor tolerate those who do." I had problems taking that oath. I was a liar back, and a cheater and a 'stealer,' but not an oath-breaker, gab-dammit! But I realized the world would be a better place if everyone chose not to lie, cheat or steal. In regards to sports, I want to see the players & teams who most deserve to succeed actually succeed. I don't want honest teams and players falling to cheaters. That's not the kind of world I want to live in.

There are actually many POTENTIAL upgrades. Three of our OL were rookies last year. It's not unusual for a lineman to make a big jump in their sophomore year. A new OL coach might make this jump more likely. One of our OL was injured last year and will return to action this year. (Granted, he wasn't a very celebrated lineman). We drafted a rookie who some draft gurus think can capably start his rookie year. We have a different OC this year. Last year, at least one OL complained that the OL was given contrary instructions by the different coaches. That problem should go away. Furthermore, the OC (Roman) has a reputation for being able to scheme run games. Our rushing totals, at least, should go up.

Great perspective!

I've been in the "Draft-A-QB-Every-Year" camp for a long time. Nonetheless, I didn't mind that Whaley didn't draft a QB this year. Rex has two young QBs to evaluate already. That's enough. He & his coaches will be fully occupied attempting to develop them. Another youngster on the roster would just dilute their efforts - probably uselessly so. First round QBs have a success rate hovering around 50%. But our first pick wasn't until the 2nd round where QBs have about a 20% chance of becoming a 'franchise' guy. Given the low odds of finding a QB worthy of a pick - and given the young QBs already on the roster - I can understand why Whaley didn't a QB this year. I think the two kids on the roster now have just as good a chance of developing into a capable starter as anyone we could have drafted in the middle rounds. But they're going to need intensive coaching. If no one emerges this year, I'd love to see OBD then committing itself to drafting a QB every year until a franchise QB is finally found. Regards the "eyeball" test... I don't see flaws in EJ's games that other young QBs haven't gone on to solve. I'm still holding on to hope that EJ will take a big leap forward this year. Jim Plunkett and Steve Young didn't develop into strong starters until their 30s. Not every QB develops at the same rate.