Einstein's Dog

Seems like you're mistaking yesterdays game for the Superbowl. Motor looked a lot better to me too, but this is game 1 of 17 regular season games plus the Playoffs. We need Moss (and/or Cook), for the season. For the one game playing exclusively Motor may have been the way to go. But we're better for the long haul by working the other guys in.

I agree with you, expectations differ according to round. But also the expectations may differ according to the draft talent. Seems like the FO wasn't sold on the talent this year. An RB in round 2 seems a bit of a luxury and they traded down a couple of times before finally doing it. I lessened my expectations after seeing that. It would be interesting to know what the expectations of this 3rd rounder are by the FO. Good teams have lesser need for immediate starters. And the Bills have stated several times they try to use the draft for the future.

A couple of comments. First, it seems you try and use a definitive 3rd round cutoff, regardless of the talent in the year. For instance, this past draft it seemed like the later rounds were lesser talentwise. We traded a 4th to move up just a few spots, and the 4th we traded to Baltimore was used on a punter. Basham has already allowed the Bills to not have to spend the $8-10M on a Butler/Addison/t Murphy type. That savings was probably a large factor in having the finances to get Von Miller. So, in my view, the Basham pick has already delivered some benefits. I think you were already starting to realize your first 3 rounds must start rule doesn't seem to apply for Cook. And if it doesn't apply for Cook (the 2nd round pick), it certainly does not need to apply to the 3rd round pick.

A problem is figuring out what a fair deal is for Knox. J Smith and D Njoku just got over $50M and around $30M guaranteed for four years. Knox seems to me to be in that range but those two deals seem outside the norm. The franchise tag right now is under 11M.

Yes, sooner rather than later. The oft quoted stats are only part of it. Knox's improved blocking was a key component in the improved end of season run game. One benefit of drafting and developing a raw prospect is being able to negotiate a deal while they are still on their rookie contract. This scenario fits Knox like a glove. Extend him now to a fair market deal, with guaranteed money and it's hard for anyone to turn down. Especially one who likes the organization, players, and his role with the team. Knox should be a core player in the future of the Bills.

But Beane did do it a little earlier than he had to. There was some risk when he did it, so Beane deserves credit for it in my book. I wish he had locked up Knox too, that price tag just keeps going up.

Yes!....clearly...the best candidates are your core players who will be around for many years....I expect/hope to see Knox signed to a long term deal during the season.

I will be interested in what Dorsey does, lots to work with. Two TE sets are down on the list for me though because Howard hasn't been a prolific blocker and is our only real backup TE in what are now very long seasons. We have excellent depth at the slot - Crowder/McK/Shakir, I would like to see them heavily involved. And now a new pass catching RB. The two TE sets would take one of those players off the field.

Enjoyable read OP. I think many in this thread are overstating the OJ Howard effect though. Howard is an upgrade at TE2, not a scheme changing phenom. Howard's drops, inconsistent effort, and pathetic blocking had him third on TB's depth chart. I'd rather see Crowder/McK/Cook/Shakir getting more time in the lineup than OJ. Give Howard his chance to show he's improved when Knox is hurt or in week 17 when we're playing our second string. As for Dorsey one of his biggest attributes was bringing continuity. Keep Josh's trajectory going. Add in some minor changes in play calling and hurry up. This offense was already potent, use some minor changes to unleash it.

Can you please keep up, it was John who brought up the wheel chair. And yes it was weird that he wrote he needed to do more research on the wheel chair issue. You act as though you have as much information as the policeman who came to the scene and eventually arrested Langley. You don't. So please excuse the logical people here who think the arrest by a policeman means more than your evaluation of partial videos. There are people that get in fights at airports that don't get arrested, kind of makes you wonder what else this clown did.

No need for name calling. We see things differently. To me it's bizarre to want to know more about the wheel chair for instance. In an earlier post you seemed surprised that I thought there might be additional video that we haven't seen, so much so to add...."your full of *****". Like Newark airport wouldn't have any security cameras. As far as being spoonfed, it's you who is having a hard time coming to grips with something right in front of your face. There is the Post article detailing the whole wheel chair debacle, video showing punches thrown, and a follow up indicating an arrest to Langley was made. I don't need any more information, Langley is a jackwagon. Has it gotten through to you yet?

Yeah, and one of the people who had access to much more information, the policeman, seemed to clearly indicate who he thought the aggressor was. I didn't realize this loser Langley had such a big fan club. From "I can't believe he got arrested for winning a fight", to "I'll have to have more information about the wheel chair", to "Nobody in the public knows how it all began/who instigated the altercation". Well, spoiler alert, only one person was arrested. It really wouldn't have been such a surprise ending if people had caught the foreshadowing - the guy who took a wheel chair instead of paying $5, the guy calling out to the crowd about "Did you see that", the guy who went on twitter to reprimand the person who claimed he did it.

You're bordering on the ridiculous now - how can you think the police wouldn't have more/better information than us/ypu? Not only videos but they would have talked with people involved. You do not know who threw the first punch. The police would have a much better chance at knowing who did. Just because a person is arrested and then released with no charges filed does not mean a mistake was made in arresting him.

Just because you haven't seen video doesn't mean it doesn't exist. The police had a lot more information to work with than you do. The worker was fired makes sense based on video we saw. He could have walked away but didn't, he engaged with Langley. Just because mistakes happen doesn't mean a mistake happened in this instance.

The Post article said there was video of Langley with the first blow. The police who had much more to go on than you or I, made one arrest - Langley. You were wondering why, so Langley's prior history is relevant. People may get wrongly arrested, percentage wise it is a small amount. So for me, the fact Langley got arrested coupled with his jackwagon history was enough to believe he earned it. And while I believe Langley did something to deserve getting arrested I don't believe it had to do with the wheelchair, that was just the start of the whole incident (and the wheel chair didn't cost $5, he did that to avoid the cost).

Is it really that hard for you to believe that Langley started the fight, threw the first punch? So no, it's not the wheelchair or winning the fight. Langley has a pattern of jackwagon behavior- from taking the wheelchair, to being involved in throwing punches, to crying out to the crowd for a look at me moment. Not hard to imagine Langley continued being an entitled, arrogant, dork when questioned by police and thus, ended up arrested. And don't forget the Post article mentions there is another video that appears to show Langley land the first blow (big surprise). We really shouldn't have needed all that John. Langley was arrested, and from that event you should lean towards Langley did something stupid. Your thought process of thinking Langley was arrested for winning a fight, and now thinking the wheel chair, is baffling.

No, I'm assuming he did something jackwagonish because he got arrested. You, on the other hand, seemed outraged because you assumed he was arrested because he won the fight.

Seems like you are assuming they arrested him because he was the winner of the fight. Maybe they're arrested him in part because he is a jackwagon. Looks like he took a wheel chair, instead of paying the $5. Not a leap of faith to believe this stellar citizen threw the first punch, and then was excessive in his beatdown of the dorky airline guy. And you assume that those events were the end of the jackwagons behavior - I wouldn't bet on it, I can imagine he was a peach when the cops came in.

No the act of squaring up does not make it fair game to swing away. You're making up your own rules here. And then trying to justify them. But can't you see with your logic you would be encouraging/promoting more fighting - and that's not really the what society is going for here. You would want to be the one throwing the first punch because it increases your odds of winning. So in conclusion, no squaring up does not mean you are agreeing to fight, no you don't get to hit someone who has squared up because you consider it self defense, and no you shouldn't always try to get in the first punch.

And that illustrates part of the problem - there is no hard definition of a trap game. So the purported statistical studies are based on a subjective definition of the term "trap game".

I think if Davis or Diggs get injured they would move Crowder to the outside and put McKenzie in the slot (until Shakir overtakes McK). It does seem a little risky and maybe they are looking at either TY Hilton or W Fuller at a good price.

Well they just did finally put the hammer down on the B Hall thread, so this isn't all that unexpected.

I would think outside WR3 would be on the short list of remaining FA, Sanders old spot has not been replaced. This seems now higher on the list than CB. As it looks now the WR group is slightly behind last year. Diggs/Davis -same, Crowder slightly better than Beas, McK - same, and then 5th round pick or Kumerow seem like a big drop from Sanders. It seems short sighted to wait until an injury to bring in a WR, they take time to gel. Could bring back Sanders. Julio seems like he would be expensive but still out there, W Fuller has speed. Maybe Crowder can go outside- Beas never did.

I agree with you, I like Davis as #2 and think he overtook Sanders by year end for the WR2 job. My concern is outside WR#3 which had been by years end Sanders. Now if Davis goes down, it gets tricky. I don't think Kumerow or the 5th rounder are the answer. Maybe Crowder can slide over and have McKenzie in the slot (I kind of liked McK in the slot over Beas at the end of the year). Maybe, they bring back Sanders for the backup, seems like he was saying all the right things - wouldn't cause waves taking the backup role. But it seemed like Sanders was fading fast (kind of similar to J Brown's rapid slide).

Enjoyed the read, thx. Couple of points came to mind for me: I think Shakir will help the ST by quickly winning over the return duties. I think WR group as it stands right now is a little weaker than it was last year. Most are the same and Crowder, I think, will be a slight improvement over the declining Beas. And Davis will be in his third year another slight improvement. But the Sanders void was not filled, currently I don't see a third outside WR.