Florida Bills Fanatic

Like some of you have already indicated, I expect Cody Ford to struggle early. The learning curve for o-line is usually a lot longer than many other positions. He will have to deal with the complex mental part of the o-line game and also the speed/physicality of line play in the NFL. I believe he will eventually be a very good player and will be the long term answer at right tackle. I also think McD will not take a chance on Allen's well-being until he is convinced that Ford is up to the job. Since they have decent options at this point, Ford doesn't have to be thrown in the fire.

If they miss the playoffs this year, O'Brien will be gone. This team has a lot of talent and the owner will probably be very unhappy. With this approach, the owner can hire a GM and a new head coach at the same time. This is surely a decision made by the owner. As long as the scouting and personnel departments are intact and functional, the team can be okay for a while. This isn't a move that you would see from a team that expects to be successful this season. To me, it looks like the prelude to tearing things apart for a major rebuild. If that's how it works out, we can scratch an AFC playoff contender for the next couple of years. I'm more than okay with that.

With our pathetic offense last year, the defense was on the field a lot. In addition, between turnovers and bad special teams play, the opposition frequently had a short field. These factors distort the numbers a bit. I agree with you that the Bills played too soft in the red zone. The lack of good d-line play really showed up here. They generated little pass rush and gave up too many rushing yards inside the 20. All of these things need to change for the Bills defense to make significant statistical improvement.

Anything that provides a distraction for any potential AFC playoff team is okay with me. I hope both teams have to deal with this for a long time. This will probably cost the Texans a chunk of money and a draft pick, if it is true. In the mean time, the clock keeps moving, the Texans need to get along with selecting their GM, and the Cheatriots hang onto their guy. Caserio may get a job title change so NE can justify hanging onto him but BB will never relinquish control of the team. Caserio loses out on getting to be a GM in the league at this time.

The only way the Bills face Jones in week two is if Eli is hurt. The New York news media has continued to throw Eli under the bus. They have unjustified expectations for the Giants and are looking for any glimpse of hope (Jones) to make a fast turnaround. I'm not an Eli Manning fan but to ignore how bad their o-line has been for the last four years is disingenuous. Even when they had a decent record, there were holes in the offensive side of their team and Eli was under significant pressure most of the time. I expect them to be bad again and I expect the New York sportswriters to be apoplectic over it. Long time Bills fans know what a bad team looks like and the Giants have that look.

You're probably right. The Bills need four guys that can play. I can't remember a season where at least one of the top receivers didn't get hurt and miss games. Having receivers that can play both outside and in the slot helps that too. I think a rotation early in the season will give the best guys the chance to emerge and prepare the others to replace injuries.

Anything that puts an AFC potential playoff team in the crapper is A-okay with me. The Houston draft was not good. They did little in free agency and can't get Clowney signed or traded. I get the sense that the Texans are circling the drain.

This analysis focuses on pass coverage and the data supports the determination. If performance in run defense could be factored into this, I believe White would jump ahead of Gilmore. During his time in Buffalo, Gilmore was not good at all in coming up to play the run. In fact, he seemed very hesitant to get into the play. Maybe the injuries early in his career have created this behavior. Both Fuller and White are very good in run support. As far as the future cost of a contract, I'm not worried about the Bills being able to retain him. Clearing cap space last year and the conservative free agent contracts this year set things up to be able to pay their best players. White is definitely one of the best players and they will pay him.

I agree with you for the same reasons. From what I have been able to read about him, he is very quick off the ball and will be more of a speed rusher than the other guys on the roster.

I think you are exactly right. This is clearly about the money. If the skins were to throw some more green in his direction, his problem with the medical staff will evaporate. He has no leverage during the duration of his contract. The Bills shouldn't get involved with him. Injuries and past suspension are enough reasons to stay away.

ESPN is a dumpster fire of sub par sports reporting. I can remember when Sportscenter was widely watched and considered a good source of legitimate sports reporting. They've lost that and haven't been good for quite a while. It doesn't surprise me that they have a lot of turnover with their employees.

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