Estro

Mallett is an impressive prospect. After watching last weeks game he'll need to have the game of his life to beat Alabama. Arkansas, IMO, lacks the running game and defense to beat Alabama. The only shot they have is if Mallett goes off and versus a Nick Saban defense I don't see it happening. I expect Saban to throw a ton of blitzs up the middle and force Mallett to move outside the pocket. Arkansas was up big on Geaorgia last week and then let Georgia right back in the game in the 4th quarter. They can't have any slip ups like that this week, but playing at home should help. Today is a great test for Mallet and if he wants to be a top pick he has to perform well. If he puts up a stinker, Luck will continue to dominate the headlines and Mallett will lose a lot of the momentum he's been gaining in the media. I've been an advocate of Mallett on this board, so to be honest I'm a little fearful of what I may see out of him today vs. Bama. My gut is Bama wins comfortably and Mallett has one of his poorer performances (a couple on interecptions and low completion %). Bama -250 moneyline is a solid bet today. I'm not betting it though because I want to be able to objectively assess Mallett without screaming everytime he makes a nice play. Andrew Luck is playing at the same time (3:30 PM) @ Notre Dame, for anyone who doesn't already know. BTW here are my takes on Mallett: Strengths: -Playaction fake is deadly. Really sells the ball fake and can freeze the defense -Arm strength is the best of any College QB. Can throw a laser anywhere on the field. -Has a good feel for the pocket around him. Is able to buy time moving around and isn't afraid to step up into the pocket. -Can deliver the ball downfield on the move -His height helps him see the entire field -Not afraid to take chances downfield (which some may view as a negative, but after watching trent edwards the last 3 years it's a positive in my book) Weaknesses -Accuracy can be suspect at times especially on the short & short/medium passes -Needs to work on his touch on the short balls to create a more catchable ball (sometimes they come out too hot) -Thows off balance more than you'd like to see, often throwing off of his backfoot when it's not neccesary. -Is not a very thick QB, kind of lean looking. -Plays in a Petrino "spread like" offense (same as Brian Brohm) and isn't under center very often. Perhaps a learning curve when he enters the NFL.

I kind of got the same sense. Second week in a row where Edwards throws/runs short of the stick on 4th and game. Just shows you what type of mentality our singal caller has. Refuses to throw the ball downfield unless soemone is WIDE OPEN. I saw Rodgers throw to plenty of well covered receivers today, and low and behold many of them were complete. As a Bills fan I forgot such things were possible. It's like you're watching another sport when the Bills offense takes the field. The ineptitude is scary, and I put 75% of the blame on the guy who touches the ball every single snap. He's the worst player on our team, does anyone disagree?

After watching Gailey's presser I think it's pretty evident he now fully understands how bad Trent Edwards is. He mentions several times that they are still assessing "who they are" and that they will make the necessary changes to improve. How could you not pull the chord on Edwards? Yes, he is not surrounded with a lot of talent, but he is so bad, that it is embarrassing. I'm still willing to give Gailey and Nix a chance. I think they have a chance to right the ship with a full 3 year commitment, but they need to find a QB with some confidence and stones. Gailey's biggest mistake to this point was underestimating how pitiful of a QB Edwards is. He's the type of guy who looks serviceable May-August, but come September he turns into a highschool QB out there. If Edwards stinks the joint up @ New England look for Gailey and Nix to pull the plug on him and go with Brohm/Fitzpatrick. One other concern I have with the Gailey/Nix combo is their sudden change of opinion regarding CJ Spiller. Guy looked lights out all preseason, and then he has a poor game in the home opener. Now all of the sudden he's not the starter? It seems like a knee jerk reaction and indicates a team that is already in full panic mode. It doesn't make sense to take a guy so high, annoint him starter and then put him on the pine after one poor showing. It's only going to hurt Spiller's confidence in the long run.

I think the Bills end up losing by 2+ scores. I think the Bills will be within 1 score in the 3rd-4th quarter and Trent will make a costly turnover which will lead to a quick Packers TD. Something like we're down 21-13, and driving with a chance to tie. Boom...... Trent Edwards turnover and a few Packers plays later it's 28-13. I also have a feeling the Bills are the first team to score. I'm actually tempted to bet the bills to score first at +175.

Mallett looked awful today? I don't think he looked lights out, but he looked real good. If that's awful, I'll take awful every day and twice on Sunday.

I'm with you. After doing extensive analysis, I came away thinking Mallett is the best NFL QB prospect heading into this season. At the half today he's at 13/17 for 232 yards with 1 TD. He got his team into FG range with 50 seconds left at his own 20 yard line. Throwing a bomb out of the pistol formation (a Gailey favorite). What impresses me the most about Mallett are 2 things: 1) his playaction fakes are some of the best I've ever seen. He carries them out extremely well and really fakes the defense. 2) His feel for the pocket is superior. He often escapes a would be sack and delivers a completion downfield. This is not luck or by accident he feels the pressure around him well. He also has the ability to throw on the move (squaring his shoulders to the line of scrimmage to deliver an accurate ball). Although Mallett's arm is much stronger he reminds me of Phillip Rivers in his ability to work in the pocket and make plays downfield on the move. Some slight weaknesses would be his velocity/accuracy on short to medium/short passes. Soemtimes he guns them too hard or is slightly off the mark on the shorter passes, but to me this is an easier fix. I've said it before and I'll say it again, I'd be shocked if Mallett isn't the 1st overall pick in next years draft. I'd love for him to be a Bill, and if there was ever a year to stink the joint up, this may not be a bad year to do so.....because Mallett would be a great pickup for the Bills. His arm would be a welcome addition to Buffalo wind/winters. Surround Mallet with tall, physical receivers and a solid running game, and I think he thrives in the NFL. Next week I believe they have Alabma at home, so it should be a great test for Mallett. If he struggles it wouldn't surprise me, I don't think Arkansas has the talent to win that one, but that game will get a lot of looks by NFL scouts breaking down Mallett. If he puts up a big game he will continue to shoot up draft boards (if he isn't there already).

5dimes.com They are serperate bets. You can bet just one. I happen to like over 2000 yards more than over 12 TD's. Both bets are currently at -115, meaning you need to risk $115 to win $100.

I agree, I don't see him starting a full 16. After watching preseason, I'm still concerned with trent Edwards pocket presence and decision making. Edwards tends to hold onto the ball a tad too long and doesn't feel the pressure, which results in too many hits and low blows. I'm sure Chan has worked with him a lot on getting the ball out, but i'm not fully confident. Even if Trent can start 12-13 games though he should easily be able to pass for over 2000 yards. I think Chan's playcalling will do wonders for Edwards productivity. Don't forget we have a guy that can turn 5 yard swing passes into 55 yard completions (Spiller). In 2008, Trent was able to start 14 games and finished with 2,699 yards. So, if he can stay upright for 12-13 games over 2000 yards should be a cinch.

Have been set at: 2000 passing yards 12 Td's by far the two lowest numbers of any starting QB in the league. I'm guessing Vegas is betting on the fact that Edwards will not be healthy to start all 16 games. If Edwards manages to stay healthy this season (that's a big if) the overs are a virtual lock. 2000 yards/ 16 games = 125 passing yards/game For anyone who's betting on Edwards this year you may want to take a look. If you think he can stay upright for the entire season it's a lock, but betting on that is risky.

From the sounds of it......it looks like Kawika could be out a while. Chan's body language didn't look too inspriring when he was asked about Mitchell's prognosis, and when asked if it was a long term injury he didn't close the door on that. My guy feeling is he will end up IR'ed. They don't have room on this roster to wait for K. Mitchell, even if it's a 6-8 week injury, IMO. Mitchell can't seem to stay healthy, too bad. Another John Guy prize, it appears.

Heading into my fantasy draft last week I targeted Jacobs as a mid-late rounder, figuring that he'd be a nice value in that area of the fantasy draft. Before pulling the trigger on him, I called up my buddy (a Giants fan) and he quickly talked me into selecting Ahmad Bradshaw (who was still available). I wasn't sure if I liked the move, but then came news that Jacobs was upset, so I figured the writing was on the wall......Bradshaw is the clear cut #1. After watching this most recent video featuring Brandon Jacobs, I'm all but assured Bradshaw will be "the man" carrying the ball for the G-Men this season: http://www.nj.com/giants/index.ssf/2010/09/giants_running_back_brandon_ja.html It really struck me how sensitive Jacobs is. He wasn't very productive last year and Bradshaw clearly looked like the better back. His comment about the new stadium being a great "money pit" also came across in a very derogatory manner. The questions he was fielding seemed appropriate to me. His reactions clearly indicate a RB that knows he will be used sparingly this season. It looks like Jacobs may soon become a locker room cancer with this type of attitude. Some seem to be holding out hope that Jacobs will see the bulk of goal line carries (still giving him solid fantasy value), but I don't see it happening. I think Bradshaw is much better churning out those tough goal line yards. Anyways just wanted to give my .02..........I think Bradshaw will have a big year for the G-Men.

7-9, similar to years past. Offense is much improved, while the defense takes a small step backwards. The special teams takes a bigger step backwards and costs us a game. Trent has an average year but durability remains a concern. Bills go into the 2010 draft looking for their qb of the future, although they miss out on the prize of the draft................Ryan Mallett.

Makes him among the highest paid FB's in the league. I guess the Bills really like him (and plan on having him on the field). I did notice he seemed much more involved in games this preseason. http://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2010/09/06/reportedly-cut-on-saturday-corey-mcintyre-emerges-with-contract-extension/

It's funny how one great year in the league and you instantly become the "best cornerback in the league". I remeber 2 seasosn ago Lee Evans whooping Revis and making him look like the young corner he was. I'm not knocking Revis, he's a great player a really good corner, but I can't stand how he's suddenly the "best CB in the league". Personally I'm happy to see the Jets lock him up for humongous money. No corner is worthy of huge money anymore. With the way the league officiates, CB's value has somehwat decreased IMO.

Hartwig would be a nice signing for us we need some depth along the OL. Doug Whaley should have plenty of insight on Hartwig. I think theres a good chance we sign him.

I don't think adding TJ fits into Chan and Buddy's philosophy heading into this season. Let's face it our offense would be more talented this season had we held onto T.O., but the thinking was to go young and see what we got. This team is in a rebuilding phase. I really believe Chan and buddy want to see what type of players they have this year by playing a lot of the young guys. Adding a guy like T.J. would help us short term, but I'm not sure it puts us over the top and makes us a playoff team, so long term there aren't many benefits. If they were to make a run at T.J., it would indicate to me that the Bills brass believes they can compete for a division title this year, and I have a hard time believing they feel that way.

Didn't the Bills have him in for a visit before he signed with denver, or is that just my imagination?

Strength is very important for NFL offensive lineman, but strength alone means nothing. Ducasse's footwork is sloppy and his playing speed is not close to NFL ready. I would be very uncomfortable spending a high draft pick on a guy who repeatedly got abused at the Senior Bowl. He stood out at UMass because he got away with just relying on his strength. I would be very surprised if Ducasse ever develops into a quality NFL starter. As poorly as the Bills have drafted in the past you have to give them credit for the Levitre and Wood picks. To find 2 quality G's (capable of starting as rookies)in the same draft is rare. I know the jury is still out on both of our 2nd year G's, but I happen to like both of them a lot.

I remember a lot of talk from the draft pundits about Vladimir Ducasse as a late 1, early second round prospect in the draft. A lot of fans on this board seemed to like Ducasse a lot and some wanted him in the 2nd round. I got a chance to watch Ducasse a little bit in the Senior Bowl and also on some youtube clips. I couldn't believe the guy could be rated as a 1st or 2nd round prospect, as much as he struggled in the Senior Bowl. I thought maybe it was just a bad day, but even on his youtube clips he looked awfully slow to play tackle in the NFL. When the Jets switched him to G I thought it made sense because I saw him as a total bust as a T, but after watching him at G on "Hard Knocks" it looks like he sucks there too. Dude can't move at all. Ducasse was reportedly getting whooped so bad in Senior Bowl practices at left tackle that he pleaded with the coaches to switch him to G. It pleases me that it was the Jets that ended up nabbing him in round 2. The guy flat out sucks.

I'm a big fan of Mallett. Like his pocket presence and love his arm (good fit for Buffalo). I had the chance to breakdown Locker in 2 games of his, and I too came away much less impressed than expected. Not to say he's bad, I just don't buy into the hype at this point. He has a lot to prove in the passing game this season to be considered a 1st round QB IMO let alone the top pick overall. That dude from A&M doesn't impress me at all. Haven't seen much of him at all, but his highlight film is less than impressive. Seems to make all of his throws off balance and gets very little velocity on the ball. He looks like a system QB to me.

http://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2010/08/26/matt-leinart-benched-for-saturday-could-be-done-in-arizona/ If the rumor about being shipped to Seattle is true, it would just be further proof that Pete Carroll is not a quality NFL head coach. With Seattle's combo of weak talent and poor coaching (I have no confidence in Carroll as an NFL head man) they're my darkhorse pick to have the leagues worst record.

I'm not a big fan of an 18 game schedule. I think a 16 game season with the playoffs is grueling enough as it is. Adding another 2 games will take it's toll on players health and you'll see a lot more injuries over the course of the season. This will dilute the talent across the league. There has been talk of teams needing to increase the 53 man roster so this will further dilute the talent across the league. I believe rosters will increase to 57-58 players if they do agree to an 18 game schedule. I thought a 17 game regular season, with each team playing one neutral game site was an interesting idea. It also falls in line with Goodell's outlook for increasing a global audience, assuming most of the neutral game sites could be internationally hosted games. All in all I'm not a big fan of the games in London etc., but we already lose 1 per year to Toronto so why not have the other 31 teams go through the same thing. In the end I think the 17 game regular season will be the compromise.

Always wondered how people got these......any word?

Heading into the 2010 College season I have Mallet rated as the #1 pro QB prospect. Coming back to Arkansas for another year was a good move on Mallet's part and I think he should have another strong season. What I like most about Mallet is his arm strength, and his pocket presence. He has the ability to fit the ball into very tight spots and his arm would be more than welcomed in Buffalo. His ability to step up and slide in the pocket in order to keep his eyes downfield for a split second more is also impressive. The major concerns are his low completion percentage. Many people say his low completion percentage can partly be attributed to poor WR play and a lot of dropped passes, but you'd definitely like to see his completion % climb into the mid 60's. I believe last year it was in the mid-high 50's which isn't very good. I had the chance to chat with Russ Lande (former NFL Scout, now w/ SportingNews.com) leading up to the 2010 NFL draft and he believed Mallett would've been a sure fire 1st rounder and the 2nd best QB in the draft not that far behind Bradford. Interestingly, Lande also added that Jake Locker would be a huge project for a 1st round prospect. Locker has obvious athletic talent and a great build, but when it comes to throwing the football and reading defenses he has a long way to go. I know there is a ton of hype surrounding Locker heading into this season, but I believe Mallet will end up as the better pro QB.

I noticed the kick coverage, particularly on punt coverage looking slower, too. Moorman had some punts with decent hangtime and the coverage units were still 15 yards away from the punt returner when he caught the ball. Definitely looked slower than in years past.