Dr. Who

Good post. People won't relax, though.

Well, I prefer the answer given by 1billsfan. I believe the situation EJ was thrown into was not typical and was particulary bad. People always think those they agree with are more intelligent. I thought, according to you, EJ would already be cut or traded. Must have been some white noise confusing the insider info. Doesn't matter. What happens on the field will mercifully end this seemingly endless back and forth.

In theology, there's something Catholics call invincible ignorance. Apparently it applies (moreso perhaps) to football message boards. Thanks for trying, nonetheless.

The guy just enjoys slanting everything negative. Wonder how long ESPN would tolerate an avid Bills' fan writing negative things about the precious Pats*.

It's literally been pointed out dozens of times that if Collins was drafted on day 3, his agent said he would sit out the year and enter the 2016 draft. By not being drafted, that option disappears. Yet individuals like yourself keep making an irrelevant point. Either you and they lack patience to read, cannot comprehend basic English and thought, or disbelieve the threat.

Sabres will make the playoffs in two years. Next year would require serendipity. Three years from Cup contention, probably. Little doubt they will be good. Too much young talent. Unlike the Oilers, the blue line was not neglected. Need a goalie to emerge or bring in a competent vet. Pegula and Whaley aren't part of the last fifteen years. Plenty of rational reasons to be optimistic. The gloom crowd lacks imagination. Invincible pessimism becomes a self-fulfilling prophecy. Besides, what's the point of waiting till there is a championship to be full of hope? Isn't the joy of being a fan to endure the tough years and enjoy the times like these, where one begins to see a glimmer of future glory?

Really well said, Kelly the Dog. Judgement requires more than stats. There is an element of artistry or a sense of the qualitative that mere numbers can't capture.

I would take a late round flier on Chris Bonner. Early round picks should be o-line, te, dt, and db imo.

The odds of EJ Manuel becoming a franchise qb are probably low, but not that low. You can exaggerate in either direction.

Full Definition of DENIGRATEtransitive verb 1 : to attack the reputation of : defame <denigrate one's opponents> 2 : to deny the importance or validity of You are aware that words have more than one meaning. The second is not inherently unfair. There's a fellow on another board who is much like you. He may be you for all I know. Evidently you enjoy this kind of thing. I don't, so chatter on if you must . . .

Well, I think a snide dismissal of what others are taking as a hopeful sign is worthy of being denigrated. If this offends you to the point of making a big production with me over it, I am sorry to have ruffled your delicate sensibility.

What, my response is "silencing" the poster? Ridiculous. On several other boards I post on, a certain individual doesn't offer a counter-argument. He just shouts, "Idiot." He's actually shrieking his own name, but that is trying to silence someone.

It's something to be hopeful about, particularly if you are inclined to think that those who have already buried EJ's career are presumptive in doing so. Off-season, and a player and ex-player say encouraging things: is life so miserable for you that you have to dump on the tiny bit of joy someone might take from this?

Sorry. I deleted the post. I don't tweet. I just pick up info from other posters. Someone clarified that Kelly was responding to a querry, not actually asserting anything newsworthy. Essentially, someone asked what would happen if the Bills offer 8 million plus and that was his response.

We'll see. If not, Cassel, and draft someone in 2016, I think.

Right. You have to look at a team collectively. I still think EJ may turn out alright, btw.

I mostly post on other boards. Perhaps this one is different. I have not noticed a lot of Pollyanna posters, unless one is going to define those who like the direction Whaley and OBD is taking as inherently Pollyanna. I don't think that's fair. Irrational optimism and rational optimism are not equivalent. If one declares optimism in this case irrational, one is simply begging the question. I like our moves. Most posters I read did not want McCown. He isn't any good. My guess is OBD viewed McCown and Cassel as similar talents. (I personally think Cassel is slightly better. He at least has a few winning seasons in his track record.) Regardless, McCown could have been had for the price of a contract. Cassel required draft picks, so that could easily explain why they went after McCown first, no? What have we done this off-season? We retained Hughes. People seem to gloss over this, but if he had gone elsewhere they wouldn't. Bringing in Felton and Incognito improves the blocking. Bulaga did not want to leave GB. Iupati wanted to stay near the West Coast. I suspect we will bring in more o-line help via free agency, trade, or draft. The real weakness on the team was offense. We replaced Doug Marrone, Nate Hackett, and Pat Morris with Rex Ryan, Greg Roman, and Aaron Kromer. How is that not a significant upgrade? We brought in one of the premier running backs, and added a talented, but character issue playmaker on a one year contract. On paper, few teams have a McCoy, Watkins, and Harvin. That should be hard to game plan for. That should help even a game manager qb. Grade is still incomplete, but I don't see optimism as Pollyanna irrationalism by any stretch.

Okay, Incognito is a talented idiot, but even he should be bright enough to be on his best behavior (whatever that is.) I've read that Roman's blocking schemes are better fits for Cyrus K and Richardson. Don't know, really, but if the o-line "magically" improves, well, good luck Jacksonville.

Ah, but I don't click. I just read what gets posted on TBD.

I really can hardly remember a tweet from rodak that didn't have some kind of sneer or sting in it.

Correct on all this, I think, though I may be slightly more optimistic about EJ's chances. Those who are in a hurry to bury EJ annoy me. I'd really like to see EJ do well because it would be good for the team, the city, it would reward a young man of high character and cause chagrin to the many trolls who presumptively wrote him off. Then again, maybe he'll just bust

What? Are you implying that a trade for Cassel and a 6th for a 5th and 2016 7th means that OBD thinks EJ has no shot to lead the team to success? That is an assumption on your part and not a very good one, imo. Cassel is a veteran qb. We needed one. They may bring in another. EJ will still have a chance to compete and I think he may very well be a pleasant surprise (except for the haters who will be dismayed if he plays well.)

It's very strange. I've been watching football for over forty years. I don't remember a young player with good character who has been so polarizing. Whichever side one comes down on, the other appears irrational.

Really? He's awful, apart from a short, charmed time in Chicago. OBD should offer him a chance to compete and nothing more. Personally, I would not sign him.

I just don't see those players as qualifying for "big thing." Going by your criteria, I would include Grayson as a possibility.