Richard Noggin

I jumped ahead a couple pages; has someone already handled this one?

We all know Rice has already received absurdly beneficial procedural wins starting from the moment he exited that car last, from the passenger side, and successfully fled the scene. At no point has law enforcement treated him with the punitive urgency a working class or even poor citizen would have received. And as far as the NFL's separate investigative process is specifically concerned, I'm not hearing any noise about a history of prior behavioral red flags. I think at least one incident has come up since he joined the league and before the big public endangerment car crash thing. Total broom job upcoming: 4 games at most, but possibly appealed down to the 3, and that appeals process means Rice begins his suspension a week later, after week 5, and thus returns week 9 against Buffalo LMAO.

You are forgiven. This one time.

I can see an argument for the Dolphins being effective on offense, but it's difficult to justify belief in the defense beyond them having some pass rush pedigree (with injury histories), some physicality otherwise in front-7, but not any notable playmakers outside of Fitzpatrick in back-7. Their RB room is really talented and they've got some dynamic dudes at WR too. They're going to run the ball well. Achane is awesome, and the next two youngsters behind him have some traits. Always comes down to Tua and his WRs staying on time and doing their quick, decisive thing. So how's that o-line hold up just long enough to make it all work? Defensively, they might cause some disruption from time to time, with talent and aggression, but they're gonna get GOT a lot at the second and third levels. They could have some REALLY bad defensive matchups this season. My guess against the Bills is they come out playing aggressive, tough guy ball and attack the LOS and backfield. Force the Bills to beat em down the field. Try to TOUCH Josh Allen above all else.

Didn't McDermott bench and then maybe make Taron Johnson a gameday inactive at some point early in his career? Included public comments of a similar nature IIRC Reminds me of Terrel Bernard entering his 2nd season. Hurt for majority of preseason, then gets healthy just in time and is named starter, never looks back (except for continued smattering of injuries). Hopefully Bishop gets back out there and doesn't let go of his opportunity.

Can't have the convo without recognizing those numbers, of course. Then again, rookie QBs have been doing some things, statistically, lately. For those successful rookie signal callers, year two is where we might be on the lookout for regressions to the mean, or at least for DCs to catch up enough to better attack/illuminate underdeveloped elements of each QB/offense overall. Caleb Williams really should take a substantial step forward in 2025, given the serious, aggressive organizational overhaul around him (landing hottest offensive HC candidate and a legit, aggressive DC, while bringing in a new, improved vet interior o-line and other vital pieces up front and at skill positions--top 4 WRs are legit plus top 2 TEs are very dangerous, plus talented RB room, etc.). Williams is well-positioned for a major progression, one would easily assume if his jersey didn't say Chicago. **but then we look at Daniels' and Stroud's WR pipelines, wherein Daniels has older-but-dynamic starters and prospects going 3 deep for each WR spot, and average RB and TE rooms, while Stroud has WR DUDES and prospects but maybe cooked RBs and meh TEs (Lachay could eventually be something). And what about Bo Nix in Denver? McCarthy in Minny? Sanders in Cle? Ward in Tenn? Maybe Drake Maye in NE is gonna explode, if his offensive line lets him. PLUS there's Pennix Jr in Atlanta who has a little squad around him. Any room for Bryce Young in Carolina to continue to improve? The potential 2025 league impact of QBs on rookie contracts is more broadly intriguing than ever imho. How will those intriguing teams fare against the franchise QB tier of competition (KC, BAL, DET, BUF, PHI, CIN, GB, DAL, maybe LAR and/or LAC)? And which middling orgs (AZ, LV, CLE, SF, MN, NYG, NYJ, MIA, NO, SEA, TB, JAX) step up or stumble back?

Really happy with the positive, sleepy tone of this reality programming. Nothing so far that's distracting, embarrassing, controversial, etc. I assume that the reward for being on Hard Knocks is no international game? Like what the org could have demanded in return? So far, I'll take it.

Anybody like Hamler over Moore for the 53? Bit of a longshot, and probably doesn't work because Elijah if waived is "Moore" likely to get scooped than KJ, but Hamler just seems like a guy who can contribute. If he ends up on the PS, then that's probably ideal.

It's not the b2b sneak calls for me; it's putting your linemen at an incremental disadvantage due to ZERO adjustment or alteration. EVERY human on the football-watching planet knew what play was coming and where it was going. Sure seems like the D has the snap-count/cadence dialed in, too. You have to adjust to realities on the field. The Chiefs were cheating to the Bills situational tendencies in ways Brady and Allen didn't effectively exploit when it mattered most.

I think I agree with this 100%. Maybe Shaq Thompson and/or Chase Lundt don't make the initial roster in favor of some other late riser(s)? Who knows. But in general, couldn't agree more. Especially appreciate your recognition that both Lewis and Hancock, respectively, represent the Bills current and future invaluable NCB/S position flex. Taron Johnson gets banged up. Our safeties get banged up. Gotta have these guys in the wings. We should anticipate that the Bills will use at least 1 or 2 PUP or IR (designated to return) exceptions in order to hang onto the 54th/55th guys, who would actually represent the 56th/57th ranked players when you account for the PED bros. Is it crazy to suggest Hairston red-shirts the first 4ish games on PUP or IR? Curtis Samuel seems like another candidate for roster manipulation. *this all assumes injuries don't make decisions for us, like they apparently did with Spector.

Love me some Reggie Gilliam. STs stalwart and provides FB/H-back/TE flex on offense. Now, if the Bills DO roster 3 TEs (instead of usual 2) as many are anticipating, a guy like Gilliam could potentially be at risk. But I think he's such a solid 4-down player and maybe more valuable to McD's roster vision than we want to admit.

Post-snap he pops upright too much, too fast; definitely relies on head fakes and shimmies like he's playing basketball...and still, he was keeping to his run keys (not knowing pre-snap obvs) on some doubles and keeping his eyes on the play as it developed. His height alone is a deterrent, he batted a pass, right? and he did record what looked like multiple hurries.

And yet he was still effective. No doubt he has much to learn. But you can't teach what he already has.

Why not both? Absurdity is increasingly appropriate as I age.

He carries himself with a confidence that can be seen as aloofness or hubris, and obviously he's the ultimate privileged nepo baby. However, he has handled the draft debacle with apparent grace and class, and seems to possess the blend of arrogance, ambition, and self-critical awareness (often attributed to his HOF dad's lofty standards) that you really want to see in a franchise QB prospect. He's been rich his entire life, got richer during college, and has had to navigate the intense spotlight from proximity to his father's star while also being forever overshadowed. He's got a lot to prove to the league. And when you listen to him, it sounds like he's got a lot more to prove to himself and to his dad. Pressure coming from outside that paternal legacy might not register much, and maybe that's when he comes off as too cool for school.

Age (30) doesn't concern you, given the top-of-the-WR-market extension McLaurin is seeking with I'm guessing at least 3-4 years additional term? Imagine instead if a short-term extension was somehow on the table...bring him in for two big prolific SB run seasons with Josh Allen slinging it at the absolute peak of his powers... "It's so obvious why....people (fans of other teams) complain about [it]"? - or - "It's so obvious why the NFL want[s] to make Josh the face of the league"? Have you tried a Ring system, or maybe ADT?

I believe Beane is clearly not willing to meet Cook's desired AAV, and therefore it's on Cook to either hold-in/out and/or request a trade, and whether to finally report and play Wk 1 when none of that other stuff works. Maybe adding new performance accelerators or bonus money just for 2025 could be a middle ground? Is there any precedent for that approach? Allen's mechanics are more and more like Aaron Rodgers', as loath as I am to even type it.

None of what you're proposing is how the NFL works, at all. Nor is Cook being accused of having "a sour attitude." Your 'old school' approach to managing a drafted RB's contract year training camp tactics would only make things worse. The goal should be to pave the way for James Cook to ball out in 2025 and maximize his 2026 FA value. The thing to avoid is a publicly contentious stalemate that results in the player requesting a trade (unless of course someone wants to offer real value for said player who we otherwise know the Bills at best will receive a mid-round compensatory pick). Can't guarantee Cook won't amplify his offseason "business" strategies, but the Bills can aim to respectfully endure and de-escalate. That's just not how anything works either. Your hardline stance would make things worse, rather than better. Cook's contract demands wouldn't change AT ALL based on your proposed punitive, cumulative 'hold-in' reductions to a Bills offer that is already below the player's perceived market, and in fact would likely result in that player feeling insulted and less willing to participate at all in offseason practices and preparations. Cook's recent hold-in is perfectly understandable for a guy who doesn't want to expose himself to injury during the preseason, while also maximizing exposure during the filming of Hard Knocks. NFL contracts are not guaranteed, so guys entering their final seasons are risking everything while their orgs are risking nothing. I side with the players, always. They create the value, not the owners. Teams should be non-profit orgs like the Packers. Owners are not necessary. Public/taxpayer money and TV/streaming contracts make it all happen anyways.

Why are the Bills so unwilling to give the fans what they really want: blue jerseys over white pants with red helmets? It's their most glorious and relevant uni combo, bar none. The all-whites with red helmets are also rad, but not necessarily better than the ALL-whites (with white helmets). Red helmets. Red end zones. NOT red jerseys.

RIP Niagara Gazette

I was only still becoming a savvy football fan as the 90s began (entering my teen years), so the impression I have is of a physical plugger who wasn't exactly an asset against the pass. Could definitely be mistaken. He was rostered for 2-3 more years after he left Buffalo.

I remember Conlan differently at the end of his Bills tenure. Maybe it was more about his general stature/posture and prominent neck roll, I don't know. He was fast coming out of college. Was he still fast in 1992? Maybe he was.

Only accuracy he had as a rookie was DEEP. Ask Robert Foster. Maybe, selfishly, this helps to prevent his poaching and he sneaks onto the PS again. Shavers and Virgil are high end PS WRs imho.

My Niagara County house, bought in 2017, has more than doubled in value in 8 years. (Probably more than that, even, with all we've done to it.) But the exponential scale of equity accrued by Thompson's developed property in nearly half the time is bonkers. Money makes money. Affluent markets make money. Warm climate non-flood zones make money. Eventually the property values in WNY and CNY will increase at an accelerated pace compared to country-wide due to higher latitude advantages like improving agriculture and viticulture conditions and legendary fresh water access. Whereas the Carolinas will be subject to intense heat events and destructive extreme weather disasters. Outside of WNY's own localized disasters like floods and blizzards, the general YoY trends will take much longer to reach cataclysmic levels in much of NYS. The temperature trendlines of the Great Lakes are probably the most impactful markers of future problems. (Lake Erie gets REALLY warm these days; harmful algae blooms are increasingly common, as is reduced winter ice cover which leads to heavier lake effect totals.) Where is your residence in relation to flood zones and watersheds?

Awesome! What are you referencing when you identify his matured personality? I want to watch/listen/read.