BarleyNY
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Posts posted by BarleyNY
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It always concerns me when a negative is showcased as a positive. Watkins will be a much better WR if/when he has the whole route tree down pat. His other abilities allowing for success early and the offense being tailored to what he can already do is a very good thing, but I'm not excited about the offense being limited. I'll breathe easier when he develops into a complete WR. One other thought: maybe this is the reason that the Bills wanted Watkins so badly. He's been doing exactly what the offense requires already.
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Some people think finding a QB is like dropping quarters into a slot machine and hitting the jackpot.
True. But some of us understand how difficult it is to find quality QB play and are much more concerned with the lack of effort in that department than even the lack of results. The Bills FO signed UDFA Kenny Guiton. That was the extent they improved the position. They also traded away their first round pick next season so that won't be used for a QB if EJ doesn't work out. And if he doesn't work out, it'll almost certainly be a high pick. That's a lot of risk. So who is comfortable putting so much on EJ? I'm not. I haven't given up on him by any stretch, but I'm not betting the farm on him either. Even if he plays well and gets injured, then what? Anyone confident in Tuel? I'm not at all. Not even as a second string QB.
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Sorry but this is bull. The Bills were pursuing Vick to be the backup. He is certainly a name
Name QB's don't come to places that they are resigned to being a backup, they are the ultimate competitors and want a shot to play. Who is going to do that? Seriously who was available the year and last year we could have grabbed?
I've seen nothing but speculation regarding the Bills being interested in Vick. Certainly nothing concrete. Rumors are often floated by agents to generate interest in their clients. I never bought it and I have seen nothing to change my mind.
There are "name" players (those with recognizable names) and quality players. There is a lot of overlap, but some players only fit one category. In Freeman's case we have a player who was a high draft choice and who had a promising start to his career, but has been terrible of late. He's a name only. Bringing in such a player would result in undesired controversy without much chance of upside. How you can claim that that name player wouldn't be coming here as a back up is beyond me. Vince Young and Tyler Thigpen fit the same category although Young has a bigger name. Getting a name QB would have been easy. Getting a quality one, less so.
Vick would have made more sense in that he might have something left in the tank. One reason I don't think he was interested in Buffalo wast hat he was not going to be in an open competition for the starting job. Buffalo was going to have to overpay for Vick or any other quality QB if they wanted one to come here without an opportunity to win a starting spot. Or they needed to draft someone who could become one. They didn't do either so we know what their plan is - whether or not we should like it.
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This was a rumor here in town. It's not true as he's been drug tested a ton by the NFL. Now, there are also some rumors here in Tampa, he had some mental health issues. He was rattled by Schiano's staff. I don't think he's our next starter, but rather could be worth a tryout to see if he can make the third spot on the roster. I like Thad and want him to be our #2. He earned that last year splitting games with almost no time to prepare.
For one of the previous posts, Freeman had two good seasons. Not from a winning perspective, but in his TD to INT ratio. He was just on a bad team.
I don't know if the cocaine rumors are true or not, but players not under "reasonable cause" don't get tested all that often and most have a good idea of when those tests will occur. Add in ways to beat the tests and cocaine's rapid processing by the body and it's certainly plausible. (Marijuana is fat soluble and can lead to low level positive tests even after someone stops using it. Cocaine is not and clears the body completely in about 3 days.)
I didn't really want to bring up the other big rumor about him - that he is gay - but that can be a factor with some teams, even if it shouldn't be.
There has to be a reason for his substantial drop off in play and so many teams giving up on him so quickly. Be it due to drugs or whatever he looks like a formerly promising QB, not a currently promising QB. Substance abuse issues would make him a player you don't want in the locker room either.
Lastly, if this FO wanted a QB to push EJ they'd have drafted one. They pretty clearly are all-in on Manuel - to a reckless extent IMO. They don't want a controversy or even an inkling of doubt about who the QB is so they sure aren't bringing in a "name" QB. Particularly one that would create a controversy without a likely big upside. That would be a bad bet. They stacked the team as best they could for EJ and now they are going to reap the rewards or penalties for that.
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I've heard rumors that his career has been derailed by some significant drug issues (cocaine). If true, it would explain a lot.
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https://www.profootballfocus.com/blog/2013/01/21/signature-stats-drop-rate-wide-receivers/
Stevie Johnson had a drop rate of 12.22% in 2012. Obviously it isn't one bad year.
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I personally admire this guy's over the top cockiness and brashness. He is who he is. The browns knew that. If they didn't like it or had concerns, they should have taken someone else.
It'll be really interesting to see if he lives up to the hype or is a total bust.
agree
As do I. People are overblowing everything about Manziel - both positive and negative. Him spending Memorial Day weekend in Vegas with half of the rest of the NFL means nothing except that he still doesn't care what people think. I can't believe so many do. Regardless, there's probably no better mentality than that for a QB in Cleveland. That doesn't mean he will be successful, but it's a good place to start.
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It would be nice to know how EJ's stats compare to other QBs. It's tough to glean anything from them on their own.
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Everyone has their own ideal situation for the owner but here is why you should want Donald Trump as the next owner...
1) He does not take failure as an option.
2) He does not take sh**from anyone
3) You want Rivalries back in Buffalo? This guy is liable to talk sh** about every divisional opponent and their owner. Oh and outside of the division, ESPECIALLY Jerry Jones because he hates other people with almost as much money as he has.
4) He will NEVER be called cheap. In fact I think he likes to overspend to get what he wants.
5) He has enough common sense to be hands off. He's not a football guy and he knows it. He will hire the right faculty and if they don't perform it's chopping block.
6) I think the NFL needs character and Trump is a character I'd enjoy watching in press conferences on his team. He's going to tell it how it is and not sugar coat it. We need more of that.
7) He has stated his intentions of keeping the team in Buffalo, he sees the importance of the fan base and how detrimental it is to the city.
8) I think everyone who sees Galisano as a better option should look at what he did when he owned the Sabres. Yes, he kept him here and we're all thankful for that but he had no win now mentality and it showed.
TRUMP for Owner in 2014... Now for all the haters on why my opinion sucks...
Doesn't accept failure as an option? You might want to check out some of his business ventures. Start with his casinos, which were abysmal failures. He's a guy who is wealthy because his dad was a self-made multi-billionaire. Despite his claims of being an incredibly successful businessman himself, he's had both successes and failures despite only ever taking responsibility for the successes. His improvement of his own estimate of his self worth come largely from his incredibly high valuation of the "Trump" brand.
I've never seen him "tell it like it is". He just sells, sells, sells. Accuracy never seems to be a theme. He tells the world how great he is and whatever they want to hear, but that usually doesn't match reality. So despite his claims to keep the Bills in WNY, I don't believe he'd do that without milking the area for every penny he could. And if he could get a better deal somewhere else he'd move them without a thought to whatever place it was that gave him the best deal. He's a snake oil salesman with a huge inheritance.
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No, it doesn't. Where the hell does this ridiculous story even come from?
A quick Google search would give several examples. Check Wikapedia on "scalping" and "redskin". Here's a link to one article about one proclamation from King George. There were several targeting different tribes:
http://www.mcclatchydc.com/2013/11/14/208627/tribes-want-congress-to-ban-redskins.html
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I think whether or not offense is taken by the name "Redskins" largely depends upon the meaning people associate with it. If it thought of to be just an observation about the skin color (red man, white man, etc.) then I don't think many find offense. But its other usage is another story entirely. That relates to the bounty the British government put on the scalps of Native Americans in an attempt to eradicate them from North America. Bounties were paid for "redskins" and traders paid for them along with deerskins, etc. Different amounts were paid for men, women and children. If that's the context, then change the name. Today. If it's the former then that's another story, but if even a decent minority of Native Americans associate it with attempted genocide and the government sponsored murder of men, women and children then it should be changed. I'm generally one to think people should be less sensitive about most things and I don't have issues with tribal names being used (Seminoles, Blackhawks, etc.), but this one is different to me.
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Goodell sux. Money ,Money,Money. O.P. is the best place for the fans. It just won`t be the same gameday .
Well, that's his job. The owners didn't vote him head of the league for his wit and charm. He's there to make the teams as much money as possible and if he wasn't good at doing that he'd be long gone already. He has to balance that with other things - long term league viability, image, etc. - but it is his main job.
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You are a Bills fan AND a Browns fan? There is a special place in heaven for you, my friend.
At least no one can say that I'm front running!
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I wonder if Jake locker sticks in Tennessee. He's a possibility if he isn't re-signed there, but he might be a tough sell due to his injury history. If EJ fails in part due to injuries, would the FO bet on another guy with similar history? This scenario was the big risk in trading up for Watkins (obviously). This FO is all-in on EJ. If he flops, then the high first round pick that could have been used to acquire a highly rated QB prospect goes to Cleveland. I'm a Browns fan who moved to Buffalo and has adopted the Bills as my second team so I'm torn there. Honestly I'd rather the Bills earn the 1st or 32nd pick this season (but I think neither is very likely). The most interesting part of the trade to me was how two GMs in very different positions handled their business. One looking long-term and the other feeling like they were under the gun to make something happen this season.
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A lot of teams run nickel about half of snaps- add in goal line, dime, etc.... And you aren't in your "base" defense all that often.
Here is an article about that. On 57% of snaps last season defenses were in the nickel or dime versus 43% for base or goal line.
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I thought that Cleveland would have been a logical destination for Stevie. Pick 9, next year's 1st and Stevie for Watkins. I really thought that the Bills were going to use a player to move up.
Word is that Pettine nixed the inclusion of Stevie in the big trade up for Sammie. They negotiated a 4th round pick next year instead. They knew about Gordon's probable suspension at the time, too. That's how much Pettine didn't want Stevie on the team.
I'll say this, though. I certainly was surprised. I thought it was a good match, too.
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This season comes down to EJ Manuel IMO. The defense is geared toward pass rush and defending a team that throws a lot. If the offense can help put teams in position to have to throw (Bills ahead late in games, Bills ahead by a wide margin at any point or just in a shoot out) then the defense can pin its ears back and look out. This defense will close games out. That's what Indy did with Manning. Their defense was built for shoot outs.
But if EJ doesn't come through, then opposing teams will run on the Bills. They were susceptible to the run last season and I don't see any reason to expect otherwise this season. Other teams will be able to chew the clock in tight games and close out games when they are ahead late. EJ and the Bills passing attack have their work cut out for them and I think the season goes how they go.
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Russ was on WGR this morning and I was frankly kind of surprised that he said that whole we all know there are committees in place where they are looking at options for building a new stadium, but that retro-fitting with the reno they are doing now might do the trick. I feel like that was not an option after hearing Goodell's statement. Here is the audio:
IMO, they are in denial. A new stadium is needed. There is no way around it.
I agree. No way does a new owner keep the team in Buffalo without a new stadium. Renovating the existing one has to be explored, but I'd bet everyone involved knows the reality is that it won't be feasible. But if they don't look into it as a possibility they will be in for big PR problems. They have to go through all of the steps.
I've been to the old and new Cleveland stadiums, Cincy's and Pittsburgh's in addition to Buffalo's. The only one worse than the Ralph was the one Cleveland knocked down. I don't see how - even without ownership change - it was going to be renovated. It's that bad. A new owner will get a new stadium along with the revenues it generates and they'll do it here or in Toronto or elsewhere. The city will pony up or they'll lose the team.
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Whatever they do, I hope the Bills maintain the stadium name as "Ralph Wilson Stadium". Especially after we lost Ralph in 2014
That is not going to happen long term either. The only way that it will is if they do something like Denver. It could be "Geico Field at Ralph Wilson Stadium" but I doubt it. Naming rights will almost certainly be sold.
Too much money to be made on naming rights. By the time a new stadium is built and a new owner is found years will have passed. He should be honored in some way, however.
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It's not worth fighting for a place to tailgate at Bills games. In fact, access to a place to tailgate shouldn't even be a consideration when determining where the new Bills stadium should be located. The reason is simple - the NFL is in the process of curbing/eliminating tailgating at and around every NFL stadium. It's a lose-lose situation for them. They have liability concerns and lose revenue. Look for tighter and tighter regulations and more restrictions around tailgating while team owned tailgates and tents are pushed. It's not like local bars and restaurants won't be on their side. The only people who care are the tailgaters who attend games. As long as the stadiums are selling out, ownership won't care - and they'll be delighted to trade a tailgater for a fan who'll spend his cash inside because he didn't knock down a 12 pack and four shots in the parking lot. I know (from experience) that many tailgaters are responsible, but I'd wager that the vast majority of the drunks in the stadiums went to tailgates and got hammered there. That's a liability that the owners want to curb, too. And they're making moves to see that tailgating is eliminated, or at least severely curbed.
I'm not making a judgement on tailgating here, I'm just speaking to what is happening. There are a lot of ways to kill something like tailgating without banning it. I know that starting this season Cleveland has limited tailgating to 4 hours prior to kick off. Parking lots open at 9 now for a 1 pm kickoff. People used to arrive at 5 am (or earlier) to get good spots. It would be filled and everything set up and rolling by 6 or 6:30. It'll be 10 before it's filled now just due to the process of getting people through the lot gates. (For a 4:30 game people get to enter the lots starting at 12:30. Whoop.) Oh, and they can expect a stronger police presence, too. If they start cracking down on drinking next, it's over. If the Bills keep tailgating alive you can expect those kinds of rules, probably worse by the time a stadium is built. At some point it just isn't worth it anymore.
The owners want their money. Permanent changes like this reduce liability and provide sustainable cash flow. Not only does sustainable cash flow hit the bottom line, but it also increases the value of the franchise. Follow the money. It's coming.
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I've been boycotting Bon Jovi a long time already.
Yeah, I'd have been a member of this group at any point in my life.
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The only articles I've found which discuss the methodology employed in developing either of the predominant draft trade value charts have nothing to do derivatives, commodities or futures trading. Do either of you have link which delves into how derivative valuation concepts are used to value draft picks?
I remember hearing this as a rule of thumb when discounting future year's draft picks: Each pick for the following year is devalued one round except that second round picks are divided into two halves and the first round is divided into three thirds. Teams project where they expect their trading partner to finish in the coming season to determine which part of those rounds they are likely to be in. Thus, a very good team's future first round pick is not nearly as valuable as a poor team's.
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I think the Bills paid dearly for Watkins, but I think that the most accurate way to value this trade from the Bills' standpoint is to look at the player they got for what they paid, not the pick they got. You trade back for picks and, often, one of a group of players. You trade up for a specific player. The success of this trade on the Bills' side will be whether or not Watkins was worth two firsts and a forth. The Browns got the 9th pick which they used, along with a fifth, to get the player they wanted - Gilbert. They also got Buffalo's first and fourth next year. The first-round pick I'm sure has some sort of average value, but there is the chance that it could be a high one worth a lot. If it is it is likely because EJ isn't panning out or because he got injured again. And that's the big risk for the Bills.
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Isn't it obvious?
Kenny Guitar Guiton.
It's Kenny G or Smooth Jazz. He's already got the nickname going for him.
Honestly, I love him as a player. I think he's a better pro prospect than Braxton Miller. I am very happy he is getting his shot in Buffalo. He's one of those "coaches on the field" kind of players. I would not be surprised if he eventually became the #2 in Buffalo.
Should the Bills Cut Dareus? - Jerry Sullivan Article
in The Stadium Wall Archives
Posted
This. You don't put up with this crap from replaceable players, but Dareus is a guy to whom you give more help and more chances than your typical JAG. That is just reality. Stevie Johnson is a good example. His play fell off, so due to his negatives it was no longer worth keeping him around. Top players get that extra long leash as long as they're top players. The minute they're not, they're gone.
Dareus needs to get his s?!% together before he makes too big of a mistake or his play falls off. Ditto Josh Gordon in Cleveland.