Beck Water

I'm not saying this is you, but one of the "tells" that someone is more interested in crafting a narrative than discussing something based upon facts, is when they are sloppy with facts. Hodgins was not traded. He was waived, and claimed by a team that was decimated by WR injuries and gave him a chance to start. That's a fact. Now, a bit more granularity: There's this Legend that's grown up around Wyatt Teller that he was traded and instantly became an all pro. The fact is, he was traded and was not even an instant starter for his new team. He sat on the bench of his new team for 6 games before playing the end of a game as an injury replacement and starting 9 games. He then had rather a spotty 3rd season before locking down RG his 4th season (2nd season under a different coach) and Getting Paid for quality play - on a team with a very different blocking scheme and a run-first offensive philosophy. And we'll see now, how that OL does for Watson, who has a very different style of QB play. So yes, in hindsight, trading him looks like a mistake, but it took at least two season with his new team to look that way. In hindsight, would it have been better to have kept Teller than Spencer Long? Than Ike Boettger or Bates? Probably, and once we learned Feliciano was actually a capable NFL center, I'm sure Beane would agree. But the Bills went into Allen's 2nd year determined to upgrade on OL, and in particular from Russell Bodine at C. Their big FA add, Mitch Morse, went into the season with a concussion that knocked him out of pre-season. Teller was not going to start over Feliciano (Bobby Johnson's "guy") or Quinton Spain, so as backups, it only made sense to keep the guy (Long) who had actually started 13 games at C. The point is, fans fixate on a couple of GM decisions that look bad in hindsight. But it's only in hindsight. When you look at them in the context of the entire roster at the time they were made, they make logical sense. (the same is true when you look at the injuries and the roster composition at the point where Beane waived Hodgins - he had a roster crunch at DB with Tre White needing to be activated but unable to play, other DBs were injured, it made sense to waive Hodgins over the WR who was also a ST ace. This is not to give Beane a "hall pass", there are certainly puzzling player personnel decisions and some draft day whiffs that are worthy of critique, but it's strange that fans fixate on those 2. One also must ask - how many "above average players" or "impact players" do you think other GMs drafts regularly produce, especially when they're drafting late? And for that matter, how do you define "above average players"

OK. But then what do you say about the playoff blunders of, say, Pete Carroll? Or the recent playoff records of Vrabel and Harbaugh?

Right. It's clear that the list is resting on "yesterday's glories" to some extent when it places Belicheck, Tomlin, and Payton at #2,3, and 4. But, they've done great things, so, OK. Then to turn around and rank a bunch of coaches who haven't accomplished nearly as much as McDermott or who have NO track record, higher? It's a joke.

No you don't

The criticisms are fair, but that list overall is a joke. There are a lot of coaches he has ranked ahead of McDermott, who either have no track record to date, whose winning track record is years in the past, or about whom the same criticisms could be made (only without the overall track record of wins)

Dang, I was just coming here to say this

What's your point? The scrubs who come in for weekly tryouts to see if they make the practice squad are better athletes than 99.99% of this message board. That's why they're professional athletes who get paid millions of dollars a year to be athletes and we're on a message board, durrrrr. Even the scrubs on the practice squad make at minimum $216,000 per year, which is likely more than 99% of the people on this message board make or made in their best year. The question is, is he in his best shape to protect Josh's blindside or is this going to be another early 2021 where Dion was a train wreck in the early season and Josh's eyes were going to the L side of his line instead of downfield (Dion leveled up at the end of that season and played very well)

That's pretty much where I'm at Honest question, Why? Very curious

People always want to take our tackles and swap sides or push them inside to G. I don't understand the thought process there. I also don't understand who would be expected to play LT

Certainly! Just as soon as the Bills offer me a contract for $58.3M to protect Josh Allen's blindside during a season where Championship is the plan, and my physique and physical fitness are relevant to my ability to do that. Unfortunately, they seem to have lost my contact info

Well, if you click on it, it would take you to the Buffalo Bills website

I get it maybe Spencer Brown is a bit skinny for an OT but Dang! Do you think the Bills want Dawkins to look like this? He seems a bit....rotund

Why you poor thing. But maybe speak for yourself

I think Beane's comments were snipped out of context and over-interpreted. What they drafted him for (eventually) and where they believe he can contribute this year, not necessarily the same thing.

Given his proven on field special teams abilities and proven pass catching in NFL games, I think Sherfield is a very good chance. I hope everyone is correct about Harty and he makes the team and makes everyone say "Isaiah McWho?" If I read OTC correctly, the Bills owe him $4.75M fully guaranteed. Harty played in 4 games last season, missing most of last season with a turf toe injury. He's had persistent hamstring injuries in previous seasons. Last season, the Bills signed TE OJ Howard for $3.5M ($3.195M fully guaranteed). He was cut before the season after struggling in camp. In 2018, the Bills traded a late rounder for former Browns 1st round pick Corey Coleman, due $2.96M guaranteed (he was cut before the season after struggling in camp) I'm concerned that Harty may be Beane's 2023 version of OJ Howard or Corey Coleman. Time will tell.

Pretty good explanation here. Basically Phase 1 is conditioning, no coaches allowed on the field, and meetings with position coaches. Phase 2 is walk-throughs and individual/group drills with position coaches. Phase 3 allows 7-on-7, 7-on-9, and 11-on-11 drills, no contact. So it starts to look (but not feel) like football. No. Mandatory minicamp is mid-June.

That is such a cool story. So glad to hear the good samaritans got some recognition - it's not a small thing to take 10 people into your house for an indefinite amount of time, let alone 10 strangers from another culture. As the article said:

I said nothing about evidence the plaintiff's lawyer has But said lawyer (who IMO is a piece of work) pointed out correctly that the DA, and the released interview, only touched on a portion of the evidence. Yes, a criminal charge would make a civil case more solid, but the absence of a criminal charge doesn't mean absence of evidence that would support a civil verdict. Again, I'm not saying there is such evidence, I'm not saying the civil suit has merit, I'm just saying being cleared of a possible criminal charge does not mean Araiza's legal journey is over, as long as a civil suit is still pending.

I don't think "grifters on both political sides of the aisle" are a problem for teams who might be interested in Araiza. I think an actual pending civil suit scheduled to occur mid season is a problem for teams who might be interested in Araiza.

I can get behind that advice!

You understand the difference between a DA's decision to not press charges, and a civil suit, yes? The one has a standard of "beyond a reasonable doubt" and the other "more likely than not". I was empaneled for jury selection for a civil suit and the lawyer for the plaintiff made a huge deal out of "a hair's difference" being the standard. The civil trial is scheduled for October, the young woman's lawyer has made a huge deal out of the DA being selective in what evidence was discussed in their meeting - as is appropriate, given that the purpose is for the DA to explain why there is "reasonable doubt" in the evidence. He's made a point that they won't "be intimidated into dropping their case", and Araiza has made a point that he isn't interested in settling, even for a relatively minor amount of money. Why wouldn't teams be leary of signing a rookie punter who is scheduled to have the potentially huge distraction (and PR problem) of a civil trial start 1/3 of the way through the season? I don't think it's "most", but there were several good veteran punters available after roster cutdowns last season because 3 or 4 teams had 2 punters in camp. Really? Who did the Bills have in prior to last year's preseason? I know they had Araiza and Haack in camp in 2022, but who besides Haack did they have in 2021? Who did they have besides Bojo in 2019 and 2020?

The phrase I used was "hard hitting questions", not "personal stuff". I pointed out that you don't catch Pat McAfee asking Aaron Rodgers uncomfortable questions. "Yo! Why did you buy a $28 million dollar estate with Danica Patrick only to ditch her 6 months later for a woman a decade younger who plays teenagers professionally? Were you cheating on Patrick with Woodley? Doesn't happen. Do you understand the difference between a hard hitting or uncomfortable question and a personal question? Because the examples you give - love of golf, golf game, F1 fandom - are personal, but they're not hard-hitting. Until you make clear that you understand the distinction, calling it "disingenuous" has little meaning to me. Oh, bull####. I bet there's stuff in your family(if not yourself) which is personal, but comfortable to share or discuss in public - what sports you like and why, what books you like and why, movies, video games - and also stuff you would not care to discuss - without knowing you, can't make an educated guess at what specifically, but abstractly: the ancestry DNA test showing actual paternity of sister's second child, stepfather's DUI arrest, BIL's psychiatric diagnosis, the reasons for being fired from one's second job would all be potential examples affecting some people. But, if you think it's hypocritical to be happy to talk about your opinion of various books or movies, your golf game, your taste in clothes - but NOT about a potentially emotionally wrenching end to a 7 year relationship, rumors painting you as a bit of a cad, or your personal health decisions re: a vaccination that became politically wrought - be my guest.

The good news is that the Bills have a good athletic training staff and sports medicine staff. The bad news is that they rely on said staff to project how players will be able to come back from injuries, and sometimes they're wrong. Every new OL coach likes to bring in "his guys" who can player-coach the room and help cultivate respect for the coach's message. These guys aren't necessarily the greatest talent as players. I can't bring myself to name who was Juan Castillo's "guy". Jon Feliciano was Bobby Johnson's "guy". Rodger Saffold was Kromer's "guy".

That's truly an impressive "receipt" file. Well done!