CookieG

Is that the same Ray-Ray McCloud who had 36 yards as a Bill? That's a "very good pick" ? You are proving my point. You know, we're not talking about his picks for a year or two, we are talking about 7 years. Now, moving forward, I'm not advocating firing Beane, never have. What I AM saying is that for this position group, he needs to put his ego aside and delegate to someone with a better track record. AND...as I said in my OP in this thread, he needs to give this person authority over FA'cy acquisitions and early draft picks. Sorry, Beane went back to his 2018 ways regarding the WR position and it is showing. It can't happen again. I only hope he realizes it and takes action.

Shakir kinda fell into their laps. What I mean is that I remember the year he was drafted, we needed a DB. And I remember watching senior bowl practices that year, the WR-DB drills. As I was watching, I kept seeing one WR who none of these DB's could cover. It was Shakir. I started looking into him and he checked a good number of boxes, (except arm length). Decent size, pretty good speed, great work ethic, and that ability to get separation early in a route. He really should have been taken earlier. So when he was there in the 120's, the 5th round, to me, its more of a guy falling into their laps than finding a hidden gem. At least to me. He gets half credit for Gabe Davis. A good pick, but I guy who is, and will be limited in what he can do. So even giving him credit for Shakir, you have 1 1/2 "hits" in 7 years. And most importantly, 5 games into his 7th year of his regime, you have people begging to trade fora 32 year old WR because it is clear that the WR corps is seriously deficient. At a time when he needed to rebuild his WR corps, his semi-big FA signing was a former draft pick of Carolina, a guy drafted while he was there. Not really much different than trading for Kelvin Benjamin while he was here. "when you don't know, go with what you know. And he goes back to Carolina ...again" No, its time for Beane to have a come to Jesus moment and do some self evaluation. I'd be happy if he did and realize he needs help. Because the 2024 WR corps says that he does.

Overall he has, there is no doubt about that. But every GM has its strengths and weaknesses. Even Ozzie Newsome, who could have been the best GM in our generation, had his weaknesses. (WR and QB). WR is not one of his strong suits. It applies to both drafting and FA pick ups. It started when he got here, his 2018 WR corps was horrid and made worse by actually trading for Kelvin Benjamin. To an extent, I think he understood it, and ended up with John Brown and Cole Beasley the next year. He really seemed to understand it in 2020 when he used a 1st round pick for Diggs. It was as much an admission of his inability to find a stud in the draft, as much as it was getting a vet stud for his new stud WR. Now, jumping ahead to 2024, after 4 years of Diggs, the WR room has been gutted. And the current WR corps, save for Shakir, looks as bad as it was in 2018. And that's bad when you have one of the best QB's in the league. Is there a solution? Yeah...he needs to put his ego aside (McD as well), he needs to bring in a senior scout/asst GM with proven experience in judging WR talent. AND...he needs to give the guy control. As someone said in another thread, he and McD need to be locked in a closet for the first three rounds of the draft. It really should have been done this year, but what's done is done. But Josh's window is closing, and this is no time to be pretending that you can judge WR talent, when you can't.

Creole Jambalaya. Since the game comes on at noon here, it will be a Jambalaya brunch. Why? Because 1) I haven't made it in a while 2) our Kroger/Dillons deli department has a kick ass Andouille sausage and 3) when I was there yesterday, I got the last 3 links. If you cook, The Big Man's method for making it is a must for your cooking tool box: People used to stand in line for hours to get a taste of his cuisine, of which his Jambalaya was a large part. Its still a Bills game, so a heavy dose of Franks is a necessity. In the pot and on the side.

Im putting Brian Thomas Jr on the list. I know Beane said he tried trading up for him, but didn't want to give up his 2nd. But he never mentioned using one of the 2d round picks he has next year. They could have traded up before Jax took him. If not, Mitchell, if he gets his head out his butt and keeps his diabetes under control.

My son and I split the cost of ST now and the cost of YTTV during the season. Even without a discount, the amount saved on not carrying DTV more than makes up for it. Yeah, you can "share" legally with YTTV. The "no contract" on YTTV makes it so much easier to cancel or suspend an account for a while. I don't watch it as much during the offseason and he rarely uses it, so he cancelled it for about 4-6 months in the offseason. I love the multiview on YTTV. And according to the article you posted, you can now customize the games you have on multiview. 4 games at once, esp. important during commercials during the games.

It sounds typical of ATT. Back in the day, we used ATT Uverse. they had a habit of knocking off channels like NFLN and replacing them with an infomercial channel. We lost things like NFLN, then local channels, networks, then other of the higher priced channels , again, replaced with infomercial or shopping channels. (to keep the same number of channels in the "package" you had.) Of course, the cost of their monthly service kept rising. At the time, I'd go on their website and read the complaints. It was always the same response from ATT, under the guise of a "non-employee advisor": -they had a legal right to do so; -is the fault of the greedy content providers; -quit complaining. I only bring this up because at the time, ATT had purchased DTV recently. There were lots of DTV subscribers who complained that programming and service had dropped off substantially since ATT took over. it sounds like they haven't changed. We dumped them years ago. don't miss them.

It wasn't a beef on weck, but I had an Italian Beef in Chicago last week and spent $11 at Ciccio's on the Navy Pier. It was worth every penny. The crusty bread was perfect and the peppers were just right in terms of heat. I shook the hand of the guy who made it before leaving and thanked him sincerely.

I liked it and I'm not a comic book fan. My youngest son, in his early 20s is. The lady I went with liked it too, and she's less of a comic book fan than me. Actually I find the later Marvel/DC movies way too dark, too...serious. Deadpool is decidely different. There is wit, fourth wall breaking, self deprecating humor, all interspersed with the action in the movie. Those elements make his movies work so well. The first half hour/45 minutes were rough and boring, and a pretty cliche storyline for a sequel. Bringing back aging Marvel characters except for 1 or 2 (you know who they are), didn't really add to it. But the fight scene in the minivan...couldn't stop laughing. The background music was perfect. I'm sure I missed enough Marvel references pr "easter eggs", but caught enough to where I wasn't totally lost. You could tell that Hugh Jackman wanted to do the movie, and didn't just phone it in.

idk. I'm definitely in wait and see mode. It just seems to me that nearly every guy they have now thrives more in the short/intermediate area of the field, often in the middle of the field. Shakir- well maybe there is hope, I liked what I heard a few months ago, him working with Moulds. But it was what they were working on, explosiveness 20 yards down the field. That extra gear, the ability to create separation deep. Ive always liked what he does, but he might be expected to get open deep more often; Samuel- despite his speed, has never shown to be a deep threat. Again, good at what he does, but not a deep threat; Coleman- Another Anquan Boldin, or another N'Keel (sp) Harry? I'm not big on guys that don't get much separation. One of the many times I'm hoping I'm wrong'; AVS- a deep threat, sometimes, but that's all he does; Claypool- If he has gotten his head out of his butt, he could be. But he's also on his 4th team; Hamler- speed to burn, if he's healthy. He also seems to be more of an underneath guy with YAC potential. When I talk about a guy getting open deep, I don't mean chucking it deep on every play. If a guy can run a deep route and is good enough to draw double coverage, he can pull a safety with him and open another area of the field. Instead, with the emphasis on guys we have and the area of the field where they are best, as well as the emphasis on the run game, I see them playing in a 10-15 yard box from the LOS. That might sound good, but its also easier to defend. Maybe Brady has a nice plan for PA passes. Again, idk. there were guys available, BT Jr, Legette, or AD Mitchell, who could both go up for the contested catch AND get open downfield. I'll wait and see.

I still like the situation better than at the end of 2022. At that time, we needed 2 IOL, there were serious and legit questions regarding Spencer Brown, and Dawkins showed up at OTA's weighing 370 lbs. Dawkins goes on a crash diet; OT falls in their lap in the 2nd; McGovern turns out better than hoped (at least for me) Brown proves healthier and better than he was in 2022. This year, you are talking about 1 position that is a question mark. If McGovern doesn't work at center, you can always move him back to LG. The hope that VPG, a 3 year starter and former All American center can be at least servicable, isn't a stretch. Or that Collins can regain form and fit in a LG. You can generally hide one deficiency in the OL, but trying to hide 3 is a push. Its a situation where a coach like Kromer can figure it out. Well, the WR corps on the other hand.. sorry, couldn't resist.

And the Lancaster reference made me think of how the draft used to be. We found out the Bills drafted Jerry Butler from a friend who had a transistor radio and an earphone in English class at LCHS. *a moment of silence for the late Joe Foyle. RIP Crane.

I really like this draft. In a way, its an All-RAS team, lol. Using assets from the Diggs trade to nab Thomas is something that just fits. There is always the argument of waiting for others to come to you, but I'd be more than fine with it. Puni is versatile, or trying to be, they had him at every OL position in the Senior Bowl. He will play inside, but can move to OT if needed. Lil bro McAffrey is actually a step faster than his older brother. But he isn't a high school QB who converted to WR, he's a college Qb who moved to WR. Lots of talent who might just need more time at the position. Guerrendo, a 221 lb RB who runs a 4.3, might be a better blocker than Cook right now, and you don't lose speed when he's in the game. McCormick is a beast of a specimen and a 3 year starter. Hunt, Cole and Gabe Hall, it depends how they are used and having the right coach to use their talents. A converted safety at edge, a 275 lb guy who was playing LB and a strong, quick 295 lb guy who was playing enough of a 2 gap, 5 tech, but might excel as in inside pass rusher (I liked him at the Senior Bowl). Based on where you drafted them, if one of them works out, you are ahead of the game. Nice job.

BUF 29. Adonai Mitchell WR Texas -the no brainer of no brainers. 73. Kris Jenkins DT Michigan - the DT corps begins its rebuild. 83. Dadrion Taylor-Demerson S Texas Tech Good athlete and smart. 99. Brandon Coleman OG TCU - 3 year left tackle but will play guard. I thought he looked good at the Senior Bowl. Long arms and big hands. He can always fill in at tackle in a pinch. 128. Javon Baker WR UCF - a good addition to the WR corps, not as fast as Mitchell but can get open deep and over the middle. Would go higher in most other years. 133. Mohamed Kamara EDGE Colorado State A fire plug who works angles, runs a 4.5 and had great production in college. 144. Gabe Hall DT Baylor - I just like the way he was getting around people in Senior Bowl practices. I see him moving to DT in passing situations. Or.. He could be a tweener We'll find out 160. Khristian Boyd DT Nothern Iowa - The Bills have had visits with him About the size of Daquan Jones 163. Trey Taylor S Air Force My true sleeper. Jim Thorpe award winner, 3 year starter, did pretty good at his pro day Smart 204. Myles Cole EDGE Texas Tech a true project, someone just needs to figure out how to use him *traded down one pick to the Lions and gave them 200 in. They gave me 29 and 73. No idea why they did, but Ill take it. **traded 60 and neext year's 6th for 83 and 99,

Again, not "the greatest" but too cool not to share. Mick Jagger and the Stones join Muddy Waters in a small place. It was about 2 years before Muddy went on to join the greatest band in the sky.

There are so many. This isn't "the best", but it was definitely unique, especially if you like piano players. Jerry Lee Lewis Little Richard Ray Charles Fats Domino With BB King and Bo Diddly on guitar.

Damn we have enough 6th and 7th round picks.. but whatever, it leaves room to take enough sleepers. 28. Xavier Legette- WR Gamecocks. A tough choice between him, Brian Thomas and Troy Franklin. But he's big, explosive, fast, can jump and can make the contested catch. He comes with some risk, the big one in that he only had one year of production. There may be legit reasons. He needed a QB, a revolving door of OC's, and didn't play WR until college. Taking the risk that he blossoms into a DJ Metcalf or Mike Evans. We need a deep threat...and he is a deep threat. 60. Sedrik Van Pran C- Goergia. The successor to Morse, who we got lucky with this year, as he didn't have an injury for the first time in forever. Van Pran is as solid as they come. Im not waiting to take someone in the later rounds. 99. Malik Mustapha - S Wake Forest. Another risky pick..but he is fast, and plays fast. Short at 5'9" but stout at 210. He's aggressive, but that is a 2 edged sword for him. Here's hoping he can be coached up a bit. Strong as hell too. 128 Javon Solomon -Edge/olb Troy. Small school, 250lb Edge rusher who runs a 4.5 40. 17 sacks last year and 45 pressures. 158 Jha'Quon Jackson - WR Tulane. With all of these picks...I was planning on taking another WR. Watching the Senior Bowl 1 on 1 reps I really liked what I saw. It reminded me of watching reps 2 years ago...and watching Shakir win all of his 1 on 1's, or watching Tank Dell last year. Although he wasn't leaving DB jock straps all over the field like Dell did last year... he was getting by people and getting open regularly. 161 Jordan Jefferson DT LSU. Another athletic freak. 325 lbs. has a 34 inch vertical, supposedly ran a 4.5 40 and is as strong as a bull. At minimum he can be a run stuffer...but he can also be more, much more. 197 Jay Stanley S Southern Miss. Not the athletic freak that Mustapha is..but maybe more solid of a pass defender. Worth a pick at this stage of the draft. 201 Nehmiah Pritchett CB Auburn. One thing that stands out with him...his QB rating when targeted. 2019 85.4 2020 48.6 2021 83.4 2022 72.0 2023 54.8 205. KT Leveston OT Kansas St. Big as a house, at 337, could probably stand to lose a few pounds. BUt moves people in the run game and has gotten better in pass pro. 245. Devin Leary QB Kentucky. A near Mr. Irrelevant. Time for Borkc Purdy II.

The Lions did what was right for the Lions. They followed the old Bill Walsh maxim in drafting.."I don't want to hear where you have the guy slotted, I want to know how he helps our team". They already built their Oline into a very good one. They wanted a RB who could turn a 5 yard gain into a 20 or 30 yard gain; They got that. They knew they couldn't overhaul their entire defense in one season or one draft so they concentrated on their run D. They went from 29th in run D in 2002 to 2nd in 2023; They got an early start in building their defensive secondary; They absolutely nailed their choice in a TE. The results aren't even arguable. This is a team that hasn't been in the playoffs in forever, 2 years ago they won 3 games. This year, they were within a whisker and a 2nd half meltdown of making it to the dance. Few expected them to win their division..much less be in the NFC championship game. Damned, there are about 25 teams that can be criticized for their draft choices...the Lions aren't one of them. Rather than worry about whether they can afford Gibbs 5 or 6 years from now...maybe they should pay attention to what the Lions got right...because they got an awful lot right... I can guarantee that other GMs are going to revisiting the Lions draft history for the past few years, to figure out how they did it.

I programmed my oldest son well enough to be a life long Bills fan..lol. With my youngest, I had a different problem. He has no interest in football whatsoever. When we were in Buffalo 2 years ago, we took him with us to a Bills game. He sat next to my sister, she said he barely talked during the game. Odd too. When he was toddler, and in elementary school, I called him my LB in training. He was always the fastest kid in his class, and loved physical contact (I won't get into the times when he beat the hell out of bullies in the higher grades). When I coached my oldest in flag football, I'd put him on the defense if I needed to even out the sides. I'd just tell him to go after the guy with the ball and grab the flag. He was chasing down kids who were 3 years older than him..the problem is he'd tackle them. But he never had any interest in playing the game. Coaches in Jr. High and high school always tried to recruit him. I didn't push it. My oldest, the shy one, ended up playing through high school, ended up a pretty good player on a pretty bad team. I wouldn't have expected him to end up as a pretty good O lineman. (but 240 lbs isn't big enough to play college ball, obviously). The point is...you don't know what interests they develop. Which team they root for is a minor thing. Now if, when he is older, he wants to experiment with crack, or join a gang..or something like that...then you have real problems. But which team to root for...nah...don't make too much of it.

I don't trust my gut. My gut can tell me, "that fried chicken smells really good." The next day my gut tells me "why the hell did you eat that fried chicken?!" On paper, this is a really, really, close match up. The Chiefs have 57 sacks, the Bills lead the league in fewest sacks allowed. I have some confidence the Bills coaching staff figures out how to protect better than the regular season game and/or gives Josh more quick outlet passes. And Josh is going to run more when protection breaks down. Getting a few people back on D is going to be vital, Dodson and Douglas coming back, if they play, will be huge. I'm not as worried about Kelsey getting some passes, he's going to get his catches, its the others, esp. Pacheco and RIce who worry me more. Bad Josh needs to stay home...last week's Josh needs to continue. Find his play makers, let them do their thing. Lock him in the film room the rest of the week and force him to watch Chiefs games. Let him figure out where the blitzes are coming from. He'll find a ***** in their D. Don't force a bad decision.

mhmm. And the past 2 they put MIchigan inthe CFP, ranked no. 2 both times. 2 years ago they were crushed by Georgia. Last year, they gave up 51 points to a TCU team that couldn't muster more than 7 points vs. Georgia. And here they are..in the CFP for the 3rd consecutive year, and given the top ranking. To each his own, but I'll take the occasional dark horse over, say, throwing Notre Dame in the mix, only to watch them get crushed. Expanded playoffs can't get here soon enough

idk. In 2022, the SEC was 7-4 against the ACC and in 2021 they were 8-3. In the CFP, they are 5-1 in those two years. The only loss was Alabama's loss to fellow SEC team Georgia in the NC game.

Nah. The SEC's record in the CFP is like 16-5, with 2 of those losses coming against fellow SEC teams. If you go back to the old BCS, after the Texas-USC epic game, the SEC rattled off something like 7 of 8 of the next national championships. Compare other conferences...(cough Big 10 cough), the record is like 3-7 in the CFP. For a long time, its like an old WWE handicap match...Andre the Giant vs Big John Studd and Ken Patera or something. Its SEC vs the best of the other conferences. And the SEC has been winning. But it is also why the "oh no, Florida St. plays in the ACC" logic is pretty much asinine. Who cares? Who really cares? How do you explain Michigan getting in the CFP for the 3rd consecutive year?

Ha, yeah, there is that. That's why the non-SEC strength of schedule/strength of conference is ludicrous. Should Michigan actually win a game in the playoffs, it will be the first non-Ohio St. Big10 team to actually win a playoff game, much less a national championship. In fact it could be argued it would be the first non-Ohio St. Big Ten team to actually put up a decent game. I dont recall a more overrated conference/division for so long, in any sport.

It was a good pick, but to me, it was also an obvious pick. -The BIlls needed serious help on the OL. You have a stud, franchise QB who was getting pressured on more than 1/3 of his passes in 2002; - A guy fell to late in the 2nd round who was arguably the best interior blocker in the draft, or at most the top 2-3; - it was a guy who dominated at Louisiana, so he moved to the SEC and dominated there. He went to the Senior Bowl and dominated there; - towards the end of the 2nd when he was drafted most of the top interior OL were already gone, Avila, Tippman, Schmitz, etc; - there was a serious drop off in talent after those guys were picked; - this team's ability to find a "late round gem" on the OL is spotty at best. The one real one they found was traded. So he fell to the Bills. It was more of a no brainer pick than anything. I seriously doubt Beane was saying, "don't worry, Torrance will be there when we pick in the 2nd". He dropped, he was there, the pick became easy. It was the right choice.