Dr. Who

Agreed. And Transplant was so against Allen before the draft. Open mind is a good thing, folks. And by paying what they did, you mean #12 and two second round picks. That's not mortgaging the future. It's a bargain if he's a franchise qb. Favre and Elway were big-armed qbs, btw. It's not like a strong arm precludes winning a SB. It ought to be obvious it's a good thing if one isn't a knucklehead and can learn from mistakes. So far, Allen is promising.

Nope. Jeffismagic posts over at buffalorumblings. While not terribly enthusiastic, he isn't bashing Allen. Ahh, I don't read that board much. Maybe he's become more positive like most Bills' fans with a reasonably open mind.

Corey Coleman, you just lucked into a great opportunity. Put your past behind you and take advantage, young man.

So Tier unmasked.

What veteran lb on the roster is arguably preferable to Edmunds as a starter? The more significant factor is simply the demands of the position. Lb and rb are two positions where rookies can typically make an impact. Qb is probably the most demanding, difficult position in any sport. McCarron buys you some time if you need it; hence the different approaches. Also, I don't buy the narrative put forth by the other fella where McDermott is a clown setting Allen up for ridicule.

Go up two posts for the translation.

Well, you weren't going to get Skinner for literally nothing.

There was actually a Rosenite who left the message board in a fit of pique when Allen was selected. He was certain it would take at least two years of development before Allen could conceivably see the field. Other than Holy Overreaction, Batman, Allen's early performance, standing on its own merits and having nothing whatsoever to do with whether he is competing against Aaron Rodgers or not, has been promising.

Would you rather have Taylor on this team and not have Edmunds?

Just how much change do you think can be accomplished in one offseason? They did a lot. If they hit on Allen and Edmunds, they have central pieces to lead both offense and defense for years to come. This year, we have a lot of dead cap money. Next year, there's plenty of free agent money and a full draft. Pretty sure rb, oline, and wr will be addressed.

Yep, and one of those INTs was a bobbled ball that really falls on the WR. Snidely wondering if it's now more than two ignores the global context you bring up and the particular I mentioned.

I think and hope you're going to be wrong, but there's no doubt you are credible and one of the solid contributors to this board.

Well, I'm going to be cautiously enthusiastic. If you want to take a more neutral approach, go right ahead. Scorp and JRober have a club for skeptics. Still don't think all those crop circles are just hoaxes.

Bangarang needs another cup of coffee, I think.

She's lovely. Folks can think and say what they want. I personally believe Allen has a decent chance to be very good, but I am not a pure analytics kinda guy. I find it tiresome when some posters appear most interested in registering their skepticism/dislike of the pick. If you're a Bills' fan, why not try to evince at least the hope that the fella is the player OBD thinks he is? This ought to be a fun time where hope abounds, not the reiteration of doubts and anger that a preferred qb wasn't picked. There will be plenty of time for recrimination if things don't work out, but constant negativity, especially at this stage, just drains the joy out of anticipating a new season.

Just put him on lifetime ignore.

The vets brought over from St. Louis, including Hutton, should contribute to a better chemistry as well.

Thanks for sharing that. A fella I like who you may find of interest is Wolfgang Smith. Cosmos and Transcendence, Science & Myth, and Christian Gnosis are worth a perusal. Smith synthesizes Vedantic insight, Kabbalah, Christian mystics.

Genuine spiritual practice usually involves some form of initiation. While exoteric forms of religion can be helpful and are even necessary, imo, the esoteric is what allows for development and genuine gnosis. By its nature, it's difficult to talk about and attempts to convey it through writing suffer from what Plato talks about in his Seventh letter (I judge it genuine -- i.e., the most important elements require living interaction and dialogue, because one has to measure the teaching to the unique person and to try and convey such wisdom "neutrally" in writing invites misunderstanding and derision.) I don't discount the therapeutic aspects of spirituality, but my own experience is that it doesn't typically calm, reduce anger and stress, etc, though some forms of meditation take one away from the roil of egoistic anxieties, you can't simply live in a fortress of meditation. Well, I can't and I don't really trust those who claim otherwise. I suspect them of faking, but maybe I'm just not there yet. Anyway, to answer your question a bit more concretely, my own path involves study, meditation, art (because process requires some form of activity to manifest contemplation.) I am an eccentric Christian, so prayer and liturgy are part of spiritual praxis, though it has not often played a tangible role in my own experience because I am frequently alienated from demotic, egalitarian forms of religion. It was different in pre-modern eras when a vital folk culture preserved lived patterns of ancient wisdom, but today one mostly gets bathetic pabulum and I can't abide it. Rare for anyone to broach this subject. Notice how one has to apologize for it, so far have the concerns of the spirit been marginalized and made nearly illicit.

But context is important, no? Hapless has it right. Really good players are cut more slack. If you are going to bring baggage, you better be really good. Otherwise, teams will take a somewhat less talented player who isn't a pain in the keester. It's human nature to avoid unnecessary conflict. I don't think it amounts to a terrible injustice or conspiracy.

Jury is out on whether they have a clue on offense. I like that they cut bait with Dennison. Not sold on Castillo as oline coach, but he continues to have a good reputation so perhaps he is better than I imagine. I do wish we would bring in some young blood at rb. I liked Allen before the draft, so I am not a skeptic there and if they hit at qb, that is the tide that raises all boats. As for Kaepernick, folks who like him will continue to think he is being black-balled for political reasons. Maybe so, but I think it more plausible he falls into the Tim Tebow category of not good enough to be worth the distractions.

"You know what the fellow said -- in Italy, for thirty years under the Borgias, they had warfare, terror, murder and bloodshed, but they produced Michelangelo, Leonardo da Vinci and the Renaissance. In Switzerland, they had brotherly love, they had five hundred years of democracy and peace -- and what did they produce? The cuckoo clock."

What is your current opinion of Risto? I still think with reduced minutes, he can be valuable to the team going forward. Some seem to think he is a good chip to help acquire a top six winger. I dunno. Certainly, Botterill has now packed the pipeline for D.

I am rooting for England and Croatia. Based on life experience, I advise no one to bet on either.

Smart and sexy is a really good combination.