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msw2112

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Everything posted by msw2112

  1. @schopptalk First four CBS crews, #Bills games: Wk 1 NYJ: Harlan/Gannon/Tasker Wk 2 Car: Harlan/Gannon Wk 3 DEN: Dedes/Archuleta Wk 4 Atl: Gumbel/Green I can't even express how much I dislike Spero Dedes. He routinely makes comments that are patently incorrect and it annoys me to no end. I'm not a big Harlan fan either, but he's OK. Gannon is pretty good in the color role and Tasker gets a pass because he's a Bills great. Gumbel is great and I enjoy when he calls the game. If Archuleta was partnered with Dedes last year, I can't stand him either, but I cannot recall if that was the case or if they are a new pairing. I think Green (is that Trent Green?) is OK. It always amazes me with all of the sports fans in the country and all of the kids who graduate from communications/broadcasting school every year that the major sports networks cannot find better talent than they do. Same thing on the color side - there are so many former players and coaches out there, yet some of the ones that call games are absolutely terrible.
  2. The Lofton comparisons are because both are veteran WRs who signed with the Bills at the tail ends of their careers. That's it. It has nothing to do with speed, toughness, route running, style of play, etc. I can't speak for others, but the comment in my post on this topic started with "I know they play different styles..." I believe that I also said somewhere that I would be thrilled to see Boldin have the kind of success that Lofton had. Lofton, in my opinion, was very successful in his stint with the Bills. He was a very productive contributor that made a lot of positive plays for the team. Based on what has come out so far, Boldin is already making a positive contribution, which is fantastic.
  3. While $2.75M + incentives is a decent chunk of money, it's a one year deal and we have the cap space. At this stage of the game, there are not going to be a lot of big money signings, so it's a wise, low-risk use of the cap space that we have. I'm far from a salary cap expert, but I believe that this contract will have zero impact beyond this season. I'm pleased with the signing and think that Boldin will be a good addition to the roster. I just don't see it as a major event. I have two reasons to think he may not have a lot left. 1) He is a year older. While every guy is different, it is often the case where a guy in his late 30's/early 40's is playing great one day and he wakes up the next day and it's just gone. 2) The Lions elected not to re-sign him after a very productive season last year. BUT, please don't take this the wrong way. I'm pleased with the acquisition and I would be thrilled to see Boldin put up numbers similar to last season. If he does that, it will be a fantastic signing. His style of play is different and he doesn't have the same type of QB throwing to him, but wouldn't it be great to see something like what happened when James Lofton signed with the Bills at the tail end of his career?
  4. Let's not overreact to the Boldin signing. He's a nice 1 year, low risk, veteran depth signing. If he has nothing left in the tank, his salary isn't prohibitive and he is a veteran presence in the locker room and on the sideline. If he has a little bit left, even better. He can help make a few first downs and catch some balls in the red zone. No need for major excitement nor for alarm about the direction of the franchise.
  5. Maybe a thank you to Doug Whaley and his staff will be in order for this one. We'll see. Let's hope he's the TE version of Terrelle Pryor. Thomas was a pretty good, athletic college QB (at VA Tech), but not a very good NFL QB. He's bigger and heavier (and presumably a bit slower) than Pryor (a pretty good, athletic QB at Ohio State, but not a very good NFL QB), but, generally speaking TEs are bigger, heavier and slower than WRs. Pryor has developed into a very good NFL WR, so let's hope that Thomas can similarly develop into a very good NFL TE.
  6. Don't forget Kevin Kolb slipping on the rubber mat and never appearing again.
  7. Over the past 5-6 years as a DTV customer, I have had a random collection of $5 and $10 monthly credits that kept my cost low - under $100 for one of their higher packages, a HD DVR/Genie, three additional TVs, and one premium channel. At that level, I was happy doing the annual call and getting Sunday Ticket or MAX for half-price or free Ticket with $100 for MAX. I really enjoy Sunday Ticket and always get $100-$180 of value out of it. This year, my discounts slowly expired over time and my bill had escalated to over $150 per month. I called a few times during the course of the year and was advised that my contract was going to run out at the end of July and that I would then be eligible for $50 off per month and likely a great deal on Sunday Ticket. The rep told me she would call me last Thursday with my "great offer." She never called, so on Friday, I called them and got to Retention. For those of you that do this every year, you probably know within 10 seconds whether the rep is going to help you or not. The rep that I got offered me $55 off per month, but had "no offers on Sunday Ticket." I asked if he could get his supervisor and he said "my supervisor is on a call and has been all day." Seeing that I was getting nowhere with this ass clown, I asked him to notate the account of the $55 offer and that I would decline it for now and would try back another time. I called back about an hour later and decided to go with a "regular" rep, then work my way to Retention (now called Customer Loyalty). She immediately got me over to Loyalty. The guy who answered was really friendly. I told him I was looking for the $55 discount, plus "a great deal on Sunday Ticket." He asked what team I liked and I told him the Bills. He started talking about how he was from Alabama, but used to love watching Thurman Thomas and Jim Kelly. I figured I had a winner and dropped a couple of Crimson Tide comments (which he liked). He took a brief break and came back with the news that I had free "Regular" ticket. I was happy, but asked if he could try to get me "MAX." He took a brief break and came back with a $96 charge for MAX, which he would offset with a $96 credit. He also gave me about $35 in one-time credits to lower my current month's $150+ bill. In exchange, I had to agree to a one year contract. I willingly took this, as my cost is now back below $100 per month, plus free Sunday Ticket MAX AND I am again out of contract at the end of July next summer, right around the time for Sunday Ticket renewal. I am extremely happy with this result! My advice to others: 1) Consider your leverage. If you are still in a contract, you have less leverage and may have to settle for half-price Ticket or some other discounts. If you are out of contract, push for getting Ticket for Free. 2) Be patient. In some cases, what you get is based on what offers are available that day. In others, and I believe is more the case, it really all depends on who answers the phone. If you get a rep (assuming you are in Retention/Loyalty) who really wants to help and keep you as a satisfied customer, then can get you a deal. If you get some schmuck who is punching the clock and just wants to get on to the next call, forget it. If you know your call is going nowhere, politely thank them and end the call as soon as you can. Don't waste your time. Call back again and hope for a better rep. It may even require a third call. Your patience will ultimately pay off! One final comment is that I owe all of my DTV and Sunday Ticket discount "expertise" to this forum. A few years ago, I was young (not really) and naive, but thanks to all of of you, I am now a savvy veteran of the game. I hope I am now able to impart my wisdom on others and give back to the community.
  8. I'm a fan of Boldin, but wonder whether he has hit the ceiling age-wise and may not have much on-the-field value. He definitely would be a good locker room presence for the young guys.
  9. Unless, of course, he suffers a career-threatening (or career-ending) injury. Look at Teddy Bridgewater, sitting out his 2nd straight season and may never play again. RG3, Cousins' former teammate in Washington, also suffered a knee injury and has never been the same after that. He went from highly-drafted and successful rookie to a guy fighting to stay in the league. I suppose that with $45 million in the bank, Cousins can afford to take this kind of gamble.
  10. I like this post and think it makes sense. The players get a larger piece of the pie and the league gets more control to recoup guaranteed money paid out from guys who don't live up to the "off the field" terms of the contract. Everyone says that the Dareus contract is so horrible, but if he stayed out of trouble and performed at the levels he has when he was at his best, the contract would be justified under the current system and nobody would be complaining. Top notch defensive linemen get paid big bucks. Eliminating the Ryan Bros. scheme having a negative impact on Dareus' play the last two years, his off-the-field transgressions are really what make the deal so shaky. He's getting a huge amount of guaranteed money, he has been suspended, he has been in rehab and as a result, came back out of football shape, he is at great risk of a much longer suspension, etc. If you eliminate the off-the-field issues and look objectively at Dareus' ability, you would think that he would be extremely successful in the new 4-3 scheme being installed by McDermott and Frazier and that he could perform like one of the top defensive linemen in the league, thus justifying the big contract. As far as the international stuff, it makes sense to expand worldwide interest and the marijuana thing is what it is. As more states legalize it and it is approved for medical purposes, it becomes less and less of an issue and the league may benefit from distancing itself from it. It would be a big win for the players without being a big loss for the league, in my opinion.
  11. I am usually on the pro-management side of the discussion, feeling that players make a ton of money to work out, play a sport, travel to major cities, stay in nice hotels, eat at good restaurants, have celebrity "access" to attractive women across the country, etc. Most of us who go to work every day to support our families would kill for this lifestyle. But, given the health risks undertaken by NFL players, which are far greater than in any other sport, I do believe they have a valid argument for a bigger piece of the pie. In addition to the concussion issue, you have arms, legs, knees, ankles, shoulders, hands, fingers and every joint in the body sustaining permanent damage for these guys. Many of them live the rest of their lives in pain and have shortened life spans. Plus, careers are short - most don't even make it to their mid-30's. There's also the factor that their entire contracts are not guaranteed. NHL players, with body checking and fighting, have some of these issues too, although to a much smaller extent. The NBA, while physical, doesn't have the regular contact and concussion risks of football and hockey. MLB players have it the best. As to the Watkins comment, I really don't care that much about it one way or another. It doesn't get a rise out of me. He's just an immature guy making a poor decision to use social media to express his feelings on a topic. He has a pattern of this. On this particular topic, as I stated above, in comparison to NBA players, he has a valid point. I like Watkins as a player and I hope he is able to stay healthy this year, contribute to the level of his talent, sign a long-term deal and have a long, productive career as a Buffalo Bill. And yes, I would prefer if he stayed off of social media, but it won't be a big deal for me if he doesn't.
  12. I went to a Bills preseason game at Lambeau a few years ago and it was a great experience. The Bills were horrible, but the atmosphere, tailgating, welcoming Green Bay fans, etc. made it a great time. I work with a firm that started in Wisconsin and has a big Wisconsin presence today, so I have many friends and colleagues that are Wisconsinites and Packer fans. Great people who are a lot like us Buffalonians. We have a mutual respect for each others' teams and fan bases. I expect to find my way up there the next time the Bills play there, which, according to this thread, is next year.
  13. I think that the Bills are closer to making the playoffs. Last year, with a terrible head coach, they were very close. Had they won the second Miami game, which they really should have, they would have started Taylor in the final game against the Jests, would have had something big to play for in that game, would have won that game, and would have gotten in as a Wild Card. With much better coaching and discipline this year (and beyond), I see the Bills getting into the Wild Card mix. As to being closer to winning a championship, I think the Sabres are closer. The Bills have enough talent to be competitive and qualify for the playoffs, but they don't have the top end talent that it takes to win it all. The Sabres have a bunch of young, talented players that could be the foundation of a championship caliber team. Others have mentioned the talent: Eichel, Rinehart, Kane (if they keep him - and the player they get in return if they trade him), Okposo, Ristolainen, Lehner form a very solid core that COULD mature together into a contending team. The Bills top talent has issues: McCoy is great, but on the wrong side of the age scale, Dareus is talented and young, but has issues, Watkins is injury-prone, Incognito and Kyle Williams are on the downside of their careers age-wise, etc. Ragland, Lawson, Zay Jones, LaDarius White and others have yet to prove themselves in the league.
  14. I borrowed from what a couple of others had posted and made some corrections and clarifications. Thanks to all for the legwork and posts! I try to make it into town for one of these weekends every year, and it looks like I will have several opportunities this year! Friday October 20 - Vancouver Canucks at Buffalo Sabres (7:00 PM Eastern) Sunday October 22 - Tampa Bay Buccaneers at Buffalo Sabres (1:00 PM Eastern) Saturday October 28 - San Jose Sharks at Buffalo Sabres (1:00 PM Eastern) Sunday October 29 - Oakland Raiders at Buffalo Bills (1:00 PM Eastern) Friday November 10 - Florida Panthers at Buffalo Sabres (7:00 PM Eastern) Sunday November 12 - New Orleans Saints at Buffalo Bills (1:00 PM Eastern) Friday December 1 - Pittsburgh Penguins at Buffalo Sabres (7:00 PM Eastern) Sunday December 3 - New England Patriots at Buffalo Bills (1:00 PM Eastern) December 15 - Carolina Hurricanes at Buffalo Sabres (7:00 PM Eastern) December 17 - Miami Dolphins at Buffalo Bills (1:00 PM Eastern)
  15. Every player on every team in every scheme cannot be a Pro Bowler. Brown was a solid starter and regular contributor in the Schwartz system and was not a good fit in the Ryan scheme. I am of the mindset that he will be a solid contributor in the new defense. Brown's skill set would seem to be a better fit to the current system, but Ragland hasn't played a down in the NFL, so we don't know at this point who will be the better player this year. I hope that they both play well and one is a quality starter while the other is a regular contributor off the bench. That's assuming Frazier doesn't configure the defense in such a way that they are both starters and one of the other projected starters is the backup. I have not seen enough of Hodges or Humber in any scheme, or Lorax in the current scheme, to know where all the pieces will fit. I will wait and see what training camp and the pre-season brings.
  16. This is a well-stated post that raises some good points, but I respectfully disagree that it was the right move. The Bills are a run-heavy team and have been at the top of the league in rushing the last couple of years. Running will remain a staple of our offense. We have a great starting RB, but he's 29 years old and is likely to be injured at some point in the season and/or hit the proverbial wall which usually happens when RBs hit 30. A backup RB means more to a team like the Bills than it does to most other teams and we let a really good one go for a difference of roughly 900,000 when we were able to free up roughly $11 Million in cap space. I think (as others have stated) that this was a mistake made by the Whaley administration that would not likely have been made by the Beane leadership team. I think they gambled (that nobody else would sign him to an offer sheet) and lost. And props to the guy with the Ruvell Martin comment!
  17. Here's what we do with the cap space: patiently wait to see who gets released, who gets injured/what needs develop, then spend it wisely. Maclin would have been a nice addition who could have helped the team, but he has some question marks and may not have been worth using a substantial portion of our remaining cap space. It's OK to have a few dollars in the bank for a rainy day.
  18. For what it's worth, I am more upset about losing Mike Gillislee than losing Maclin. Gillislee is younger, in the prime of his career, is coming off a great year, and was WITHIN THE BILLS CONTROL to retain. I lament the organization's short-sightedness in not putting a second round tender on him. Perhaps they truly felt that a 5th round draft pick is worthy compensation and that they can find a successor to Mike, just like Mike was the successor to Karlos Williams. Back to Maclin, I would have liked to have him on the roster, but he is 29, coming off an injury-plagued year in which his stats declined and perhaps his contract demands were too high. I'm disappointed, but like a previous poster, won't lose any sleep over this. I feel the same way about Decker. Would love to have him, but won't lose any sleep if the Bills don't land him.
  19. Too bad I don't have time to watch this video again. I didn't even realize that Dawkins was on the field. I would have paid some attention to the tackle if I knew that was him! I noticed a post above that compares Peterman to Brady. I don't even want to go there, but I will just a little bit. I went to Michigan and watch every Michigan game. I knew that Brady was clutch coming out of college. He was the best QB on third down that I have ever seen (and I have watched a lot of football). No matter where the sticks were or what the situation was, he always found the open guy and got the first down. It was incredible. I would watch games with my friends and say "Brady is going to be a really good NFL QB." Now, I never imagined that he would be a league MVP, 5 time Super Bowl Champion or possibly the GOAT, but I did think he'd be very good and wished the Bills would draft him. If you watch him play, he never had, and still doesn't have, a particularly strong arm. He just has a great feel for the game, knows how to find the open guy and has enough arm strength and accuracy to get it there. He beats you with his brain, not with his arm. In comparison to watching every college game that Brady played, I have watched Peterman only twice: the last 5 minutes of last year's Pitt-Clemson game and the 6 minute video contained in this thread. Thus, I don't have much to go on here, but he at least looks the part of a competent QB who knows when and where to go with the ball and he seems to have just enough arm to get it there. No predictions of MVPs, Super Bowls or GOAT, but I think he could have a decent NFL career.
  20. I really enjoyed the video. Peterman looks solid and has a good command of the pro style offense. He appears to go through is progressions and he hangs in the pocket, despite pressure, to make the throws. He floated a few, but for the most part, displayed good accuracy. He has the makings of a solid NFL QB, but not likely a major star. Could be a reliable career #2, but may have starter potential. I can see the arm strength issues that are known to be part of his profile, but only time will tell. Somewhere I saw him compared to Chad Pennington, who had a good career as an NFL starting QB. He moved the chains and scored some points, but didn't overwhelm anyone with his athleticism. More impressive was Zay Jones. He was all over the field and made catches of all types. He displayed size, speed, hands, route running and a nose for the end zone (I think I saw 2 TD or 3 TDs, although one may have come back on penalty). Looks like the Bills made a couple of good draft picks.
  21. I have always liked Whaley, but I think that he never had a congruous relationship with his head coaches and it just didn't work out. It was time for the team to move in a different direction and I am impressed with the new front office moves so far. Whaley exited with dignity and class, unlike Rex, who was a buffoon from Day 1 (and well before Day 1). I hope he finds success elsewhere. Despite my comments, I still think they should have put a 2nd round tender on Gillislee and not doing so was a mistake that weakens the roster.
  22. This was a great post and the type of post that message boards are for. Helpful insights and opinions from a fan who is interested in what is going on, but is not pretending to be an expert. I don't know a lot about Beane and I was skeptical about the hire, but this post gives me more optimism! Thank you for your insights!
  23. I agree that I am uninspired by this hire and I believe that the hiring process was a bit of a sham. It's pretty clear that Beane was the guy from the start, based on his connection to McDermott. That said, this guy might not be a bad hire. For an organization to be successful, the GM and head coach need to complement each other and work together. They need to share a vision for what they believe will make the team successful. Whaley didn't have such a shared vision with Marrone or Rex and the results showed both on and off the field. Beane and McDermott should work well together and if they are both good at their jobs, it could turn out very well. If it doesn't, they will crash and burn together and this board will be debating a new GM and HC in 2-3 years.
  24. My picks from this list (and reasoning): 1. S. Watkins (one of the best in the league when healthy, high draft pick) 2. Z. Jones (high draft pick, high overall potential) 3. A. Holmes (key FA signing with high potential and good size) 4. B. Tate (kick return skills and filled in well in limited action as backup WR last year) 5. K. Listenbee (superior speed, draft pick) 6. P. Brown (known quantity from coach's former team) All of the other guys on the list will compete for slots 4-6 along with the 3 guys I put in those spots.
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