ganesh

May be the Colts communication guy pulled the plug.

If owner says something, then he is a meddling owner....and if he doesn't, then he is not committed to the team...Boy...there is no middle ground here.

Also, Bruce Arians was his HC/OC. Arian had already developed successfully a Superbowl QB and knew how to bring Luck along. Give our coaching staff a chance.

The coaching staff have repeatedly said that they will put their *BEST* 11 players on the field. If the 11 happens to be all rookies/sophomores then that is what the coaches will play.

The Networks would be far more enamored with Geno Smith with the Jets playing on National TV rather than Manuel and the Bills.

The Bills extended Fitzpatrick prematurely (amid a 4-1 start) that backfired on them really badly. I think bad teams tend to overpay for marginal talent in the name of re-signing their own picks (See Kelsay for over a decade). I think Nix and Whaley have made a decision to wait till the player really succeeds. It costs them more, but at least it gives a good feel that he is a blue-chip player. Levitre was a good LG, but was not a blue chip player. Byrd is a blue chip player and deserves to be paid like a super star. The Bills will pay him eventually, unless Byrd doesn't want to be here.

Once the first week of FA went by, there were no such guards that you deem were mid-tier. May be if you could support your theory with real names, the discussion would be more useful.

Sanchez was hand picked by Rex Ryan and former GM. Smith is the pick of the new GM. I think Rex Ryan's loyalty is still with Sanchez and he will get the nod if all things are equal.

I agree, and Leftwich is out in the market. He can be the insurance policy and he can throw the ball.

When Brandon Lloyd with his 74 catches is still in the market, why would the Steelers, who value their draft picks, give up something for Brad Smith

Another aspect that bites them later in the season is the length of the season. These college athletes are used to a much shorter season and their body wears off as the season progresses (including having to play 4 pre-season games). THe question would be is: if Maronne and his coaching staff has built the conditioning for these athletes.

Awesome. Looks like the defense took a backseat minus the pass rush.

I agree. Rodgers gives a big presence, especially as a red zone target. He is like Dez Bryant. Besides him, I see Wood, Goodwin, TJ and Stevie being the main WRs.

Didn't we say the same when we let Edwards go!!

It is a two-way street. Without guaranteed contracts, the teams can also cut the players at their discretion. There is nothing wrong in Byrd maximizing his potential, because he may not get another chance.

Regarding Byrd - From a CNNSI Article http://nfl.si.com/2013/08/06/all-underrated-team-defense-jabaal-sheard/?sct=nfl_t1t_a1 Byrd frequently gets bashed by people looking at stats without understanding their schematic context — yes, he is usually among the league leaders in yards per pass allowed (14.3 in 2012), but that’s because he’s playing center field so often, and he’s usually (and literally) Buffalo’s last line of defense. In 2012, he allowed just 16 receptions as the primary target on 561 coverage snaps, picked off five passes and allowed no touchdowns. That last stat is especially impressive for a deep safety. Oh, yeah — he was one of PFF’s highest-rated safeties as a run defender. Byrd is now a great all-around player and should be recognized as such. It is not about the injury this year. It is more about injuring before the season starts. If he is injured in training camp, the 1-year salary is not guaranteed (Only if you are on the day 1 roster).

I think the premise of the OP's argument was "If Carrington had a monster year...."..... My own opinion is that Carrington will have a good year, but with Pettine's defense rotating players constantly, I don't think any single player will stand out w.r.t statistics thereby giving the leverage back to the Bills. Plus, he is a restricted FA next season. The Bills could simply put the 3rd round (round in which Carrington was drafted) tender on him.

Don't forget coaching and the attitude of the staff. I think the difference between the Harbaughs, Peyton, Chucky and the rest of the also ran's is their attention to details. They motivate their players in different ways. They use technology to gain the slightest of advantages.

I don't know if the Bills have the same caliber LBs as the Ravens. Those four players make a big difference to that defense. Also, the Ravens OL has always been the strength of their team. The bills OL is still a long ways from matching the talent of the Ravens OL.

Great stuff. Thanks

For a rookie QB to be successful, the team needs to win with a strong defense and a excellent running game. The coaches must be committed to protect the rookie QB and put the offense on the shoulders of the Veteran RBs. If EJ can avoid the big mistakes and manage the game, he can start taking on bigger loads as the season goes by. This is what will make EJ a successful QB. Both Ben and Brady had mediocre rookie seasons with respect to stats, but they had the right numbers on the WIN column.

All that advise from Aaron must have helped him prepare for the NFL!!

Also, how can you forget the famous Herschel Walker trade that turned into THREE Super Bowls for the Dallas Cowboys in four years......I think that beats even the Ricky Williams trade.

Doug Maronne looks like a Young Bill Parcells!!!

Bledsoe was good enough to win with, especially with a good OC that we had. Our defense was horrible. The mistake Mularkey made was in retaining Greggo's defensive coordinator. If he could have convinced Dick LeBeau to stay, I think that team makes the playoffs, irrespective of the result against the Steelers in the season finale.