Florida Bills Fanatic

Doesn't it feel great that the Bills have actually collected enough quality depth at corner so that injury replacements can be expected to perform well? Kevin Johnson is an excellent player and will do a good job when given the opportunity. I am concerned that another concussion could be the end of his career.

Getting pushed around during plays and after plays is part of the whole physical aspect of the game. Intimidation is a real factor. Players know that and you could see the Bills getting pushed all over the field on many occasions. They have given up multiple games over the years where the opponent rushed for over 200 yards. That happens because the players up front are getting their a__es kicked. Yes, they have had bad rosters but they have been a very soft team. Do you think that Gronk would have hit Tre White on the ground if he thought someone on the Bills would nail him on the next play? Whether you believe that or not, that is a real factor in the league. My point about Smith Sr. was that he played tough and wasn't intimidated by anyone. He didn't let intimidation change the way he played in a game. The Bills could used that kind of tough attitude in more of their players.

Smith Sr. was a tough guy and he played tough. The Bills could have used a little passion from their players. I've spent too many years watching our guys taking cheap hits and getting pushed around.

There are only a few sports writers and commentators for whom I have any degree of respect. I look at the source before I even spend time to read or listen. For the most part, I trust what I see on the field much more than what I read ( with the exception of the gems from distinguished posters found here).

Although he wasn't terrible on the field with Washington, he was not worth the money he was being paid. As one of the posters already observed, he was over-hyped and enticed a foolish GM to open the bank vault for him. The Bills appear to have accumulated some very capable talent at the position and don't need to spend the money or take on the headache that is Josh Norman.

Good question! I think about guys like Randall Cunningham, Cam Newton, and John Elway. Allen's attributes are not unlike them early in their careers. I'm sure there are some other similar guys but I just can't think of them at the moment.

He's honeymooning with his favorite kicking net. His actions continue feed his detractors with more talking points. I can't imagine that the other high value vets that are at OTA's appreciate his absence. This also doesn't help his case for a contract upgrade which many believe he will eventually pursue. Whether or not he is missing important reps, if his season performance fails to meet expectations, the fans and the press will dump all over him. Glad the Bills didn't end up with him. He's not worth the trouble.

I mostly agree with you. Anyone that expected anything except a train wreck of a season, probably wasn't paying very close attention. The team had a very poor roster with the exception of the first twelve or thirteen players on the defensive side of the ball. The cap situation prevented them from doing anything to salvage the offense. The o-line was a complete disaster and prevented them from having any real semblance of a running game. Although the fan base was angry about the losses, experts around the league had positive comments about the job being done by the coaching staff. The team played hard and competed. This season should tell whether McD is the real deal or not. The roster is much improved and the quarterback play should be considerably better. Barring significant injuries to key players, the team should have a better record. Even if they don't take a step forward this year, I don't expect McD to lose his job. I think that the owners recognize that you can't have an effective NFL franchise with constant turnover in leadership. Great teams in the league have continuity.

Based on the limited information from OTA's and other sources, I think this is a credible analysis.

With Shaq likely to be gone next year, the Bills need Murphy to perform this year and be the guy at left DE next year. A pass rusher will be a need in free agency or the draft in any event next year. If Murphy performs, they need one guy. If not, they will need two. Yarbrough has been a decent rotational player but he isn't the answer for a major role. I remain skeptical about Murphy but I'm hoping he gets back on track for this year. He has been very good in the past.

I think you missed the point of my post in as much as Frank Gore already made the decision to come to Buffalo. I do agree with you that many high profile free agents refuse to go to Buffalo and some other small market teams. I think some of that relates to the lower potential income from endorsements in small markets.

I hope so. Frank Gore has always been a class act. Can you imagine the ovation he'll get if he does it in front of a Bills hometown crowd?

This is SOP for any responsible labor union. It has nothing to do with sending a message to the owners about being difficult during negotiations. With the salary cap growing each year, the players and owners are making a ton of money. With this much money available and players careers having a limited shelf life, I doubt that a strike or lockout is in the cards. In addition, there are new tv and internet streaming contracts to be negotiated soon which will bring more revenue to the league.

It was one of those pesky ring tabs on a beer can. Technically a non-football OTA injury. lol

I don't think he is going to be Vince Young bad but I have low expectations for him. With an entire off season to prepare for him, defensive coordinators will scheme to contain his running and force him to win games with his arm. He has yet to prove that he is capable of doing that. With the personnel losses on the Baltimore defense, the offense will need to score more points to win games this year. I'm skeptical that this will happen.

I doubt the Jets will contend for anything except another top three draft pick.

I think your analysis is right on. The thing that I find most encouraging is that they seem to have found more than five starting caliber linemen. This should not only fix the line but also provide capable injury replacements.

A recent news outlet has reported that they gave the NFL the "BIRD".

I think you're correct. I saw where it is being reported that Rudolf was offered a contract extension from the Vikings, thus taking him out of play. They'll keep Lee Smith to have a veteran influence to help the young guys and be the main in-line TE. Croom may be the biggest beneficiary of this whole drama.

I predict I'll have a bunch of cold beer and chips while watching the draft on TV.

At this point, this could be nothing more than picking up a camp body. There may be some better options available when the teams make the first cut down from 90. If a trade for Rudolf isn't in the cards, maybe they could make a pitch for Cameron Brate of Jack Doyle. Both are good players getting little playing time because of a better player ahead of them.

How can you tell if Cream Ale sours?

I thought the same thing when I saw that he had been released. FA signing period had come and gone. Most teams had spent their FA money. This really limited his options to sign elsewhere. He had been a very good player and a good guy in the community. I hope things work out for him but just not in our division.

What a great trade that turned out to be!

Gerald McCoy is being released to give Tampa Bay some cap space this season. NBC Sports has identified several potential landing spots for him. They have the Bills on that list. I don't think that is likely for a few of reasons. First, McCoy will probably want to go to a team that is very close to contending for a Super Bowl. Sadly, I don't think the Bills are quite there yet. Secondly, he will be looking for extensive playing time and I don't see the Bills putting Ed Oliver on the sidelines to give McCoy a big chunk of PT. Lastly, McCoy will be looking for a decent sized contract that would probably be more than Beane would be willing to pay. What do the rest of you think?