Shaw66

Thanks. I guess I knew about those guys being free agents but forgot. That's not uncommon. And yes you're right. All the free agent o linemen than should make the team. I really want a good rookie OT.

Thanks for the proof read. Not many Germans, but you're right about prices and food. Apparently some Americans retire here.

The best part is that here, here is you DON'T hear, hear.

I've said since the season ended that the Bills need one or two new vet starters on the oline, and one rookie starter. The Bills are on track. Morse looks like a perfect addition. I think McBeane really buy the old adage that the most important players play closest to the ball. In less than a year they got their MLB, their QB and now their center. The other acquisitions will fight for their jobs. And Mills, Miller, Groy, Bodine and Teller all are on notice. Like I said to start, I love what Beane is doing.

I absolutely love the Gore signing. Yes they need some youth at running back, but does anyone really think he doesn't know that? I said someplace else that Gore is a better Ivory. Tough, tough guy, football saavy. I didn't know he and Shady are buddies. I think it's a good thing when your team has guys who want to play together. It says a lot that Shady encouraged Gore to come. Gore almost certainly is another locker room leader. Probably means Ivory is gone, which is disappointing, but that's the nature of the game. Best part of being in Asia is that it's easy to avoid all the US political news.

Like a lot of people, I thought John Brown was great when he hit the league. Then he seemed to fade. But I think he is a great addition. Obviously still a serious deep threat, and Allen need another to go with Foster. He also should be a mentor for Foster. I've always admired Beasley. Tough as nails and reliable. He's the kind of player McD loves. And I think the thread about Daboll building what he learned from Belichick is a good thought. We've been hearing the McD wants Allen completing more short passes (for higher percentage). That's why Duke Williams was signed, and Beasley for sure. And Andre Roberts. They liked the quick throw to McKenzie, and the jet sweep, and I'm sure they will be using Roberts in that role. The draft hasn't happened yet and the offense already has enough skill position players to be explosive.

We visited an elephant refuge today. They take elephants that have been trained to do work, or be in the circus, or run in elephant races (really) and spend two or three years teaching the how to live naturally in sort of controlled wilderness. Our top was conducted by the CEO. It's a for-profit business. He described that everyone in the organization has jobs that are focused on the ultimate objective. There actually is a human being, 24 hours a day, who follows each elephant around. They work in shifts, stay out of the elephants way but step in life they need help. Then there are support people who get whatever the elephant followers need. The CEO's job is to hire good people, train them, fire the ones who aren't getting the job done. The CEO was describing all of this and I was thinking I've heard this before. Then I realized he was talking about the process. He was describing building a team in the same way McBeane talk about building a team. Elephants, linebackers, all the same. That's got to be weird. I think Thurman is over here somewhere. I wear a Bills shirt some days, a Bills cap some others. No comments yet.

I become a bigger Beane fan every time there's a new move. I think he knows exactly what he's doing. He knows what kind of guys he wants and he knows what he's willing to pay. He understands that not every guy he gets is going to be a standout player. He knows, in fact, that not every guy he signs this week will be on the team in the fall. He knows how much guaranteed money he is willing to risk. It's really impressive. The biggest question in the back of my head is whether he will have the courage to fire McD if he decides that he needs a better coach. I hope he doesn't have to face that question. I hope McD has all that it takes. But I'm getting ahead of myself. For now, I think the guy is great. I'm looking forward to the draft. I'm guessing he will I be dealing, moving up a bit for the tackle he wants or moving down to pick up an extra second rounder. Something.

I'm in Thailand. You're pretty much all asleep. Back in the US in a week. It's weird trying to follow all the news with no one to talk to. All of a sudden last night in the hotel, the only place I get internet, all the free agency news appeared on my tablet. I was astounded. I'll give a few reactions from afar. I'll post this post and then a few more,n replying to my own thread.

Beasley and Roberts on all the cute little screens and rubs. They will try to spring Roberts like they used McKenzie last year. Duke and Zay over middle. Brown and Foster on the deeper routes. It's a nice wide out room. Yes, the Dolphins mailed it in, but it still was a game for Josh to get the feel for how to use the short passing g a me. It was a good game to build on.

Better analysis than I've done but I've had similar thoughts about OBJ.

I have a new found appreciation for day 3 picks. Watchuing Beane I see how useful they are, often just to trade to move up. I think of a sixth this way: every year some undrafted free agent makes the team. Finding those guys isn't easy, but it isn't just luck, either. Often, you have an undrafted rookie you want but he signs someplace else. If you have an extra late-round pick you don't lose that guy - you draft him. So if you don't need Zay, and you're going to cut him, getting a 6th for him is fine. He was taken in the second or third, produced for a couple of years. Then if you get a 6th for him, you got some value out of your pick.

It's certainly an open question. He should win with this roster plus the draft picks. If he doesn't we may have a problem.

McD will have the full court press on for him. They're going to pitch the rotation to him and tell him he doesn't have to be the savior, just one of about four good edge rushers.

I think McD loves Hughes. I'd be surprised to see him go.

I see problems in Cleveland. OBJ might very well start a war with Mayfield.

Thanks, Logic, especially on the cap analysis. I don't know oline talent, but it looks like only Morse is a sure fire starter. Maybe there's a second starter in the geoup, and as far as I'm concerned that's more than enough, provided they use a high draft pick for an online guy too. There will be plenty of competition in camp. Although I expected more youth, Gore and Beasley will be great leaders. They're McD style players through and through. And Brown should be a great fit. I continue to be really impressed by Beane.

Good for you. Everyone else was whining and you saw this as a solid move. Great team guy, even better inside runner than Ivory. Great heart. Bills fans are going to love him.

Alpha, I gotta say that Brown and Beasley make your prediction look pretty good. Beasley and Duke threaten Zay big time.

Yes it is honoring the deal. The deal is that those non guaranteed years are essentially team option years. They have the option to keep the player at a certain price. That's the deal.

That's wrong. Teams have to pay what the contract says. If a bonus is due, they have to pay it. If the guy is on the team, they have to pay what the contact says. They can cut a guy, but that isn't breaching the contract.

Great points. If the rumors about the price of the Bills deal with Pittsburgh are true, Brown's parting gift to the Steelers was a lousier deal.

Damn. Just typed along response to this on my tablet and it disappeared. I think we are saying that same thing. Only coach and QB are essential to winning. You need a lot of other talent but no other position is essential. Whaley said you can afford only six high end players. They need to be qb, LT and one skill player on offense, edge rusher, corner and one other defender. I don't believe there is a formula like that. You need a qb and quality players, but a good coach will figure out how to make it work. Yes you need oline, but that doesn't mean you must have a top LT. A good coach can do it in other ways, as long as the total talent on the oline is good enough. Whaley thought he had is six. Actually seven. Taylor, Glenn, Watkins and Shady. Hughes, Gilmore and Dareus. He was wrong.

You guys are having an interesting discussion, but I don't buy it. It's coach and QB. That doesn't mean that's all you need, but those are the only two things you MUST have. The rest is coaching and creativity. Look at Belichick and Gronk. Belichick figured out he could attack with a tight end if he had the right one. But you don't need a great tight end to win. If you have a good one he dictates some of your [offense, but you don't need one. Yes, there are trends, but all the good coaches, pretty much all the coaches, follow the trends. That doesn't make them winners. I agree you need some basic level of talent, but beyond LT the talent can be spread around the lineup in any number of ways. McBeane obviously wanted talent at MLB, and that isn't a position you guys named. A good center helps. Shutdown corner, sure, but not essential. Get a Palomalu, you can do some special things. Again, look at Belichick. Shutdown corner is about the only position he seems to covet; everything else he just wants good ordinary football players who do their jobs. Give me a coach and a QB. So long as the coach has decent talent spread around the roster, he should be able to figure out how to win. If he cant, he isnt the right coach.

Keep those posts coming. We must we working on some kind of 24 hour record.