Webster Guy

Exactly. In a spread offense with good RB's your slot guy and TE's work the inside of the field a lot, and your outside guys spread the field. Stevie gets targeted ten times a game, nelson 5, chandler 5, RB's 5, and the rest goes to the hot player or mismatch. #2 guy doesn't really apply to us IMO. Either way Fitzy normally chucks it about 40 times a game, he's gonna get you an 85 QB rating, 25 TD's a year and hopefully trim that INT number this year with a better defense and playing with the lead some more. Remember folks, we didn't really add much to our offense, it's going to look similar this year as it did last year. But if we stay healthy and that defense and special teams keeps us on a short field, we can win 10 games and get in the post season.

All I know is that we have a HUGE season opener against these chumps in their house. We lost 5 of 6 games in our division last year and this is a huge test for our squad. We need to go at LEAST 3-3 in our division for any shot at playoffs, and it starts on opening day. I don't care about the hype I just want to be 1-0 baby. As much as I hate the Jets, I remember seeing Sanchez go out of his way last year after a Bills game to make his way to Chan and shake his hand. I thought that was a classy move because it wasn't like they crossed paths, you could tell he was looking specifically to find our coach after the game. That kind of stuff means a lot to me for some reason. I like players with character, even they are wearing the lowly green and white and dwell in the swamps of New Jersey and have filthy, hostile, obnoxious fans and cheerleaders like Maybin.

He can handle it, the guy is 6'2 and 2400 pounds

Exactly. In case you Giants lovers forgot, Eli the "great" led his team to whopping 8-7 record last year before they played Dallas to sneak into the playoffs. In 2007 they lost 6 regular season games as well. That's a combined record of 19-13 for the two years they got the rings. We all know about their defense, so if that's worth a few wins over two seasons (conservatively) then this is a .500 offense. Eli is a good game manager and has played awesome in the playoffs in 07 and last year. If they didn't have Cruz drop down from the heavens I don't think they make the playoffs last year, he was a ridiculous game changer. The one thing I like about Eli and Fitz is they don't care about how many picks they throw, if their team is down and they need a play and it's 3rd and long they're letting it fly and hoping their receivers come down with it instead of taking a sack and protecting their ratings which I'm convinced some qb's do. Eli is better at the long ball in my opinion, they both are pretty fast, Fitz is tougher, Eli has an awesome hard count that he saves for those 3rd and 4's and gets a few each game it seems. If I had to choose a qb I'd pick Eli for sure but for those of you who think Fitz is just a backup, let's see how he plays with a strong defense and a healthy offense first.

I was looking through last years running back stats in hopes of maybe finding something that would help my fantasy football team not suck so badly every year, and found something pretty cool: Here are last year's NFL leaders in average yards per carry guys (minimum 100 touches) 1. Fred Jackson 5.5 yards per carry. 2. DeMarco Murray 5.5 3. McFadden 5.4 4. Jonathan Stewart 5.4 5. Ben Tate 5.4 (with 4 fumbles) 6. DAngelo Williams 5.4 7. CJ Spiller 5.2 Nice to have two backs in the top 7. Also interesting that CJ's longest run was only 38 yards and Freddy's was that 80 yarder against the superbowl champs. I'm sure Fred is reminding the youngster of that stat whenever possible, but I suspect that CJ will be hitting a few homeruns of his own this year.

I totally agree. Kellen Heard is a force man. I know he was undrafted and we signed him off the Raiders practice squad, but he seemed really fast for a 6'6' 360 pounder out there, not just a space eating 3-4 guy. He picked up 20 tackles and few sacks even. I think they will find a way to get him on the field unless he shows up at camp out of shape and they don't want to bother developing him.

It's really hard to rank running backs because they do so many things out there. Where does reading and picking up blitzes fall? On some teams pass protection is more important than running ability. Durability, fumbles, running in space, running with absolutely nowhere to go and minimizing the loss, broken play instincts, knowing down and distance and where the 1st down markers are, ability to break long runs, route running, hands, 4th and short conversions, allowing blocking schemes to develop, etc etc etc The hard part for me is I only see most of the premier running backs on highlights and the occasional prime time game so it's hard to get a sense of how complete a player is. To me, that's how players should be ranked, on completeness. With that in mind, I honestly would take a healthy Fred Jackson over anyone because he seems strong in all areas. Tough, instinctive, smart, experienced, driven, productive. Would love to see what the team criteria are for grading out running backs after the season is over and the position coaches breakdown the film. As Homer Simpson said when that huge donut saved the runaway train " Is there anything they CAN'T do ?"

Maybe the reason he had such a weak pro day is that he was on the firewater...... hard to see the cones out there when you're in the 1.5 range, and it's tough to remember when they throw you the ball to catch the one in the middle.... ("i see three of him out there Mick"..."hit the one in the middle Rocky")

Stevie, Nelson, Hagan emerge from camp as the top three, Chandler has major numbers as primary TE target, Graham gets worked in for the Roscoe stuff and to stretch the field. Thats my prediction. I think Hagan has better hands than Easley, more experience, tough, he plays like he hates everyone out there.

First of all, our GM and coach have said Carrington will not play DE this year unless there are some major injuries. He is a rotational DT. As much as I like Kelsay as a team guy and a hardworker and a Buffalo Bill, he simply isn't very good at beating NFL tackles and putting pressure on the quarterback. He's good at playing to the whistle, at identifying screens and play action early, sideline speed, consistent high motor effort-- those are the things Chan is referring to. But I've watched every play he's been on the field since Donahoe drafted him (like a lot of you have) and I'm sorry but the guy is a below average pass rusher. In fact, I'll go so far as saying most NFL tight ends can handle him in pass protection with no help, much less the offensive tackles. I still love that interception TD he had against Romo on prime time television. What a great play. I hope he has a few more like that this year, I'm rooting for the guy and I'm glad he kept his number 90, he's earned it.

More importantly, we gave up over 200 yards to Reggie Bush AT HOME. No need to pass when you can just hand off with the lead in obvious running sets and still let a mediocre running back churn up the yards. That was tough to watch.

Fairley played his best college game on the biggest national stage of his career. His timing was perfect in that regard, but that's why good GM's like to judge someone on their full body of work, on and off the field over years of being productive, good teammates, hard workers etc. This is why Buddy wouldn't likely draft a guy like Fairley, Easley or Maybin, Coples etc. All guys that had relatively short spurts of production at college. Fairley couldn't qualify academically for Auburn and had to go to community college. He was originally going to play offensive guard in college. Maybe he can play prison guard now.... ps (i was one of those mentioned that was all for us drafting Nick after the BCS game.) My guess is the interior line of Oregon in the 2011 championship team had nobody that made it to the pro's because they made Fairley look like a future hall of famer.

In a spread offense the rankings of your WR's are meaningless. Fitz goes to the guys that are getting open and a lot of times thats your 4th receiver who is covered by the rookie corner. As far as the elite QB comments here, i agree w Nix, Fitz can do the job. Heck, Joe Flacco was one dropped pass away from being in the superbowl and Fitz is better than that dude all day.

Of course he got tired of chasing girls in college, have you ever seen what they look like out in Nebraska?

I agree with some of the posters that it can be a valuable learning experience when your kids can see the right way and wrong way to conduct yourself all in the same day. Bills games are a good opportunity to show your kids how to have fun with class and respect for others, and you'll be sure to get a chance to point out how foolish other people look who swear in front of kids, get drunk and obnoxious etc. Here are my two tips: 1. Everyone usually stands up when there is an exciting play going on, so kids get screened seeing from the action precisely when they WANT to see what's happening and can miss a lot of the fun. I think it's worth paying the extra money to get front row seats (the 300 level front rows are great, 200's even better but usually really pricey) The other option is to get aisle seats and have your child on the aisle so they can kind of peek out when something good is happening and the big dude in front of them stands up. I think its a bit lame when you go to a game and have to watch a live play on the jumbotron. I have one of those at home in my living room for free. 2. Its a good idea to explain ahead of time that some people weren't lucky enough to be brought up to control foul language around children. I told my son its simply a fact of life, and that most people are sensitive to that stuff but others either don't know or don't respect the rule. It opens up one of those "yeah dad I already know all the words from the school bus" type of conversations, and I still recall thinking it was funny that my 10 year old was telling me to relax about the issue and that he knew they were just words and he doesn't use them etc. The funny thing was we got last minute tickets down low behind the New England bench and there was a drunk guy thoroughly embarrassing himself and security came and got him when he tried to throw his cup on the field. It was a great lesson to see what happens to the idiots. Nothing better than giving a child a lesson and then they see it unfold in real life. gives credibility to the old man.

Tebow is an awesome guy, surprised he would go to NY and jump right into the middle of a bickering team with such an obnoxious, outspoken fan base. I could see a guy like him in a Cleveland, Pitt, Minny, Buffalo, GB, type of city with real football fans. The only thing I can attribute that move to is Rex Ryan. As much as everyone seems to hate Rex, I think he's a cool guy and a good coach who really gets the most out of his players and can attract free agents and hometown discounts for current players coming under contract. That being said, I hope Tebow causes tons of controversy and splits the locker room and the fans, and the Jets sink even further in the Jersey swamp. We are gonna light them up in their own house on NFL opening sunday and I can't wait.

I'm surprised they're moving Carrington to the interior. The dude was a beast DE in the 4-3 in college, he finally gets the switch from the 3-4 and now Buddy says they're moving him inside. I would let him take the reps as a DE behind Mario, learning from a pro bowler and ready to back him up if he goes down. Merriman played on that side last year, maybe he's penciled in as backup there and it's Kelsay and Anderson on the other side. On another note, I still can't believe that our 2nd and 3rd round picks from two years ago (troup carrington) are nothing but backups. I like Nix but that's a REALLY big miss unless one of these guys eventually steps up and starts distinguishing themselves on the field. Then when you throw in Easley Wang Moats Batten and Levi Brown, it starts to look like that whole year hasn't produced us ONE starter except Spiller, who we picked with two other pro bowl type runners on our team. I hope we get some better production out of our rookies and second year guys. Wow I got off topic there. What was the thread again?,,,,,,

OK so Anderson and Kelsay weigh 260. Not exactly your typical DE in a 4-3. Am I crazy to think Dwan Edwards wins the starting job at a slightly slimmed down 285 and rotates out on passing downs? He just seems to me a lot harder to run block against than the lighter guys. I thought the guy was really solid against the run last year, if there was such a thing on our team later in the season. Chan said he thinks Anderson can play the run and play all downs, but I don't know. The Patriots were trying everything to stop the run last year (they gave up 4.6 yards per rushing attempt), I think if Anderson was doing well they would have had him in there but they used him as a specialist.

TJ Graham: 5-11 190 Devon Hester 5-11 190 Both have run 40's in the 4.3 range. T.J was the ALL TIME ACC leader for kickoff return yardage. I think the notable difference this year in special teams will be our kickoff return increase, because this is the type of kid that might get the green light to return anything except for the very deep endzone kicks. If he can protect the ball and give us the possibility for a long return I think kickoff return will be fun to watch again, despite the league trying to kill them.

Glenn has to show that he can handle the NFL's best pass rushers before he starts. He's a college kid and has a lot to learn. It all depends on camp and preseason, they have no idea right now. My guess is he starts at RT in camp, I doubt very seriously they will have him taking his first reps against Mario Williams in practice. (welcome to camp son, just 48 more days of this guy Mario.....) Luckily our first game is against the Jets and they are weak at pass rushing (Maybin led the team with 6 last year, so what does that tell you) and it's not like the kid has to go against Von Miller or Jared Allen all day. I'm sure the Jets will be starting Coples at end, it would be cool to see Glenn win the LT spot and dominate that guy in their first of many battles to come over the years.

Your mom doesn't seem to care if I match

First of all he's referring to the open to the public training camp sessions. If other teams want to see what we're doing they can send a high school intern to our camp with a video camera and a tripod and get all the video they want already. Its legal and cheap. Believe me if there is a competitive advantage to be gained from that then every NFL team is already doing it, but my guess is they would rely on preseason and actual game tape. I love this idea. I only live a few miles from St John Fisher and I've had years where I never get to camp ONCE. Heat, rain, crowds, parking/shuttle hassles, night practices that require tickets I don't have, etc. It's hard for my kids to see unless we're in the bleachers. I would think even a one or two day delay so they could do some rough editing and have 30 min of footage would be awesome. You should send Russ Brandon an email and suggest this. Don't copy anyone else in because he loves it when its HIS idea. Here's a low cost way to generate interest in the team and keep the fans plugged in. Out of town fans would love it. I would suggest doing it for a few weeks and when they see how many views it gets on the buffalobills.com site if its a decent amount then keep it going. I would watch them instead of some crap NBA game on in the summer. You know they already tape them anyway so why not upload it for the fans. Our local news gives us like 10 seconds of training camp video per night during camp. Chalk one solid idea up for PTR and the stadium wall ! (and all this time i thought we were just here to mock out brady and rex)

I share the concern with the receiving crew behind Stevie. On opening day Rex Ryan is going to say, well they didn't really add any offensive firepower in the offseason, and they have the best RB duo in the league, so lets put 8 men in the box, stop the run, put them in lots of 3rd down passing situations and make Fitz start to force the throws to his second/third reads when Revis and another guy are doubling SJ. (yeah that's right Revis, you need help against #13 and you know it) Fitz led the league in picks last year, and he has virtually no experience with Graham or Easley, so that leaves Nelson, Chandler and Jones as pretty important keys to the offense to help convert those 3rd downs, move the chains, take pressure off our defense and Stevie, help our runners by forcing the 8th man to drop in coverage or at least be guessing on those play action bites. The spread offense we run looks so nice when the defense has no idea if we're going to run or pass. We used to be so predictable in that area before Chan and Fitz got it together and running smoothly. The downside is you can't get by with just having 2 strong WR's, you need a bunch of them or things get ugly like they did last year for us as the season went on and guys went down. We need to stay healthy and get open.

I think you're right. Just watched Ron Brooks highlights on You Tube, there wasn't a ton of clips showing his ball skills (same with Gilmore actually) but Brooks is wicked fast and he hammers guys and wraps up like Winfield. All four of our Buddy Nix-picked corners (williams, rogers, gilmore and brooks) are exceptionally hard hitting guys.

Thats the first thing i thought too. I'm sorry guys but the odds are that Terrence will be hurt again, which leaves us awfully thin at experienced corners. I like the idea of williams, gilmore, rogers, brooks and company, but these guys have a total of like a 15 NFL games under their belt. Leodis is just so inconsistent it's hard to see us relying on a guy we benched midseason (including the nickel sets) to be our veteran corner. Maybe the CB spot is more instinct and uncoachable stuff and the management thinks our rookies can perform but to release Florence now instead of seeing how thing shake out in camp tells me they have targeted another experienced corner. If they can get someone who would play like Florence when he first came to Buffalo I'd be very happy.