GunnerBill
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Posts posted by GunnerBill
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I have asked this before but what specifically about EJ's game so far do people like? I think that he has been good late in games but that's about it. Please don't say "he's young" or tell me how many starts that he has. What specifically have you seen that give you hope?
I like then way he has played late in games, when we have had a chance late in games he has been in he has given us the chance to win. I also like the way he went from one of his worst performances the first time we played Jets to one of his best if not his best the second time. Thirdly I like his calmness. I know there are plenty on here who think leadership is about going around screaming in people's faces when things go wrong. I don't believe that. Leadership is about control. You are not in control when you are screaming in people's faces. Even in the games where he played poorly he remained calm, that will serve him well going forward.
Make no mistake, he has to get better. Take out the Tampa game and he generally avoided the big mistakes, but he has to show that he is willing to risk the mistake in order to scoop the big reward and then be able to execute under that pressure. His footwork has to improve, his intermediate range throws into tight spots has to improve (would be helped by better pass receivers as well) and he has to start games better. If I see positive signs in those areas next season and genuine steps forward I'll be pleased. But the Bills knew they were not drafting a finished product when they drafted EJ. Even if he had played a full 16 game season I don't believe that the Bills would have been saying "ok this is what he is he isn't going to get better...." I think they believe there will be improvement and development in year 2.
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I don't see the likeness to Gregg Williams either. But hey he seems determined to run with the idea. I suggest the rest of us just leave him to it.
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Not sure whom we should get, and didn’t mean to turn my post into something about the merits of Andy Dalton as a QB. I can’t defend his playoff performance thus far, but he HAS played well enough to lead the Bengals to three straight playoff appearances as a starter, which is not awful by any performance standard.
p.s. I see that Louis Riddick was a pro personnel director in Philly, lending even more weight to his words.
p.s.s. I’d love to see Schaub in here.
Haha I know you didn't. So I won't either. I could certainly get behind bringing Schaub in, I still think he can be a mid level game manager type of starting calibre Quarterback. Will he not ask for decent money though?
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Ok, but truthfully just saying "work it out" isn't a solution....look at the Saints and Lions last week, they both cut high priced players that while contributed to the general talent and productivity of the team, could NOT be kept at their current price tag....so, they had to let them go.
That was going to be my response too. I know the Bills have got a decent amount of cap space at the moment but they also have a lot of important players still playing on rookie contracts. They are going to have to renegotiate with these guys in the next couple of years so they have to forward manage the cap to some extent. Now I don't claim to be an expert on these things but that undoubtedly has an impact on how much they can overpay on Byrd. I'd be willing to overpay to keep him and I think the front office are too.... it's how much are you willing to overpay? Somewhere there has to be a line. I want Jarius to stay as much as the next guy by the way.
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(Schaub? Cassel? Cousins?)
Cousins did not look good in the few games he had at the end of last season. He has fewer starts in the NFL than EJ. I don't think he fits the bill in Buffalo at all to be honest.
We can win a lot of games in 2014 with our defense & some efficient Dalton-esque quarterback play.
Dalton and efficient in the same sentence? Give EJ AJ Green to throw to I think he would look "efficient". I'm sorry I'm not a fan. Not at all.
We don't need a game manager, we need a QB that is going to go out there, put the team on their back & win a game once in awhile.(I know crazy expectations of your QB position). That is what a franchise QB does. I have my doubts that EJ will ever be a franchise QB.
He did that a couple of times in his rookie year. Carolina being one and Atlanta being the other. He couldn't have thrown the pass to Stevie any better or the one to Chandler come to that (even though Chandler wasn't really in field goal range when he fumbled anyway). I think having the clutch gene is an area I'm not that concerned with EJ. It's more he seems to be a really slow starter. There was more than a couple of average or poor 1st quarters.
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I know that and I'm in favour of overpaying a little on Byrd.... the problem is I think he wants us to overpay more than a little. I'm in favour of keeping him though make no mistake about that.
Chandler's numbers will get him a better deal elsewhere than he is worth in my opinion. I don't think he will be back.
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Wilson didn't beat genuine competition. Wilson played well that pre-season but Matt Flynn stunk the joint out. That's part of the reason they were so content to roll with the rook.
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He voided his contract with the Vikes that would have paid him 3.7 mill this year. I think a team will pay him upwards of 4 mill because backup QBs are such a commodity, and I don't think the Bills will do that nor should they for that money. I am not at all against bringing in a vet, but I don't see them paying that much for one.
True but I think that's largely because they've siad Ponder is 100% coming back and they are committed to drafting a guy. I think Cassel wants an opportunity where he at least has a shot at playing. The Vikes have made things pretty clear - they still see him as a 3rd wheel despite him outplaying Ponder and Freeman last year. Whether he consider Buffalo somewhere he might get a shot I'm less sure.
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I agree with this even though I am not sure of Hughes. He is heading into a free agent year where he will be too expensive if he is as productive as last year. No, not because Ralph/Russ is cheap but because they will not pay the % of the salary cap on Mario & Hughes that it takes to keep him. If he doesn't have a year this year like last year you may have missed you chance to maximize his value. I do like Hughes and think that he can play though. It's about value.
IMO you need to have a team and a QB that emerge at the same time to win. The goal is not to be the Bengals where you have tons of talent but no QB. It is also not to be the Pats where you have an elite QB but lack talent elsewhere. Those teams don't win.
The point being if those guys are not going to be really good players when you are ready to win what good are they to you? If the Bills think that EJ is the guy and ready to take the next step than they should take their shot. The problem is that if you miss your shot its back to square one. You end up with cap problems, declining vets and a window that has closed.
Agreed. But I think the Bills want to win this year and that's why I don't see them trading Hughes unless the new DC really doesn't think he can use him.
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I think the situation on Byrd and Chandler is different. Their contracts are up and it's the question of their value in terms of what it would take to retain them. You don't build successful teams in this era of the NFL just saying "he's a quality player, pay him whatever" you just dig yourself a salary cap hole. You have to take a view on what value the guy has to your organisation and whether he is a priority player in a priority position.
The others I totally agree with you on. I'm not sure why when there is the possibility of losing good quality players through so many means in the modern NFL our fan base is keen to given away others that we have under contract.
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No way we sign Incognito and no way I'd want us to.
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I thought he had a good rookie year. He took a step back last year no doubt, how much of that was trying to adapt his game to playing with one hand I'm not sure, and then his confidence took a knock. I think some of that is on the staff I think they rushed him back when he really wasn't in a position to make plays.
I'm still confident he will turn out to be a good player.
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In terms of a veteran back up.... what would people feel about Matt Cassel? I thought he was by far the most impressive of the three guys Minnesota played at the position last season (not saying a great deal I know), he has played in cold weather in Kansas City (where he led them to the play-offs and earned a pro bowl nomination) and he knows the AFC East from his time in New England. I think he is a steady game manager and if EJ goes down or completely blows I think you could pretty safely put Cassel in and trust him to execute your offense without committing a boat load of turnovers.
I also think he will be looking not for the best paid back up gig available, but an opportunity somewhere where he has some chance to play. And I think he would look at the Bills say "ok EJ is going to get the first crack" but looking at his injury record last season and the fact that he hasn't nailed down the starters job yet and think he might get a chance.
For me he would be a good fit. Anyone else?
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Unfortunately, he underwent surgery again this week: hope 3 times is the charm, but he's damaged goods.
Ahhhh well. Thanks for the update.
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Just because it isn't easy doen't mean it isn't worth doing. Culture change takes time, it takes effort, it takes patience and it takes education of the next generation of NFL footballers. But the NFL has to try. Because simply saying "oh Martin was just a mental weakling who has no place in the NFL" is doing nothing to prevent such a situation occuring in the future.
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The NFL is a business like no other. Its just the way it is that these guys act the way they do. Its not for the better. It is for the worse. But it is the way it is
Then it must be changed.
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I think Danario Alexander would be an intriguing pick up. Obviously dependant on how he has recovered from the knee injury (was it an ACL?) he could be a low price contributer as the big body wide receiver. I think there is more chance of him stepping up and being that guy than the other big guys we had on the practice squad last season.
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I don't think anyone denies that there are benefits from a developmental perspective. What Mr Weo is saying, and I happen to agree with him, is that around those undiscovered gems there is a lot of sub standard footballers and hence the product is sub standard football. That was the problem with the World League / NFL Europe.... ultimately the product just wasn't very good.
If the NFL felt that there was room for a development league based in Europe I think 4 teams (rosters limited to 45 players), play each other twice have a third meeting of the top 2 in a bowl game at the end if you must - 6/7 week season to run in May / June would be the way to go. At least that way you are trying to keep the standard as high as possible.
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The Monarchs drew decent crowds the first couple of years and then the interest quickly waned and the decision to "tour Britain" with the team rather than have a base was the final nail in the coffin. But it was a long time ago. The fan base is much stronger here now. And part of the problem was the product which was not great.
I've been to all but two of the Wembley games and there is no question that they are Europe's games rather than just the UK's but there a lot of British people at the games and every year you meet people who are there for the first time and love the whole experience and say they will definitely be back.
Last year the Steelers - Vikings game had a distinctly European feel, but at the 49ers game it was overwhelmingly British voices in the stadium and the concourses.
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Bold prediction...... we beat New England twice and still miss the play-offs.
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There are plenty in England who care. It's currently our fastest growing sport both in terms of viewing figures for the NFL and in terms of grassroots participation (unless you include womens soccer as a separate sport to soccer). There are plenty of Germans that come over for the Wembley games but it is nowhere near 2/3s. The majority are British fans. I said Netherlands and Spain because they supported NFL Europe teams for decent periods in the first incarnation.
I do think you have a point about keeping down travel costs though. Localising the teams in Germany would make sense from that perspective. But there is zero chance that the NFL would consider a new NFL Europe without a London based team.
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I think it was a 6 team league by the end 5 in Germany and 1 in Amsterdam. Id be in favour of maybe 4 teams... play each other twice.... 6 weeks of summer competition. A team in the UK, one in Germany, one in Holland and one in Spain if they were going to bring it back.
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When does the trade window open again?
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It was probably done away with because it wasn't profitable. Soccer is the game Europeans love, not football. I doubt Europeans really even understand the rules of football.
Plent of people here in Europe who understand the rules of football thanks. Europe has sold out 3 NFL games in two weeks for next season. However, I don't want NFL Europe back, because ultimately the quality just wasn't there. Unless they could guarantee it was going to be better... and the increased interest in Europe is starting to lead to European players capable of playing in the league and might get us to that point eventually... not sure it's there yet though.
FanSpeak's "On The Clock" - Try Drafting
in The Stadium Wall Archives
Posted
They updated their board yesterday..... here is this weeks attempt...
9 OLB KHALIL MACK BUFFALO
41 TE AUSTIN SEFERIAN-JENKINS WASHINGTON
73 G CYRIL RICHARDSON BAYLOR
105 RB CARLOS HYDE OHIO STATE
137 CB KEITH MCGILL UTAH
169 QB TAJH BOYD CLEMSON
201 WR CODY LATIMER INDIANA