Ennjay

There must be a law somewhere that you can't honestly criticize John Elway or John Lynch.

A couple obvious morals to the story: Nobody knows anything when it comes to the draft. Tom Brady was pick number 199 in the sixth round; the Patriots weren't smarter than anyone else, just luckier. Johnny Unitas (look him up kids -- he was pretty good) signed with the Colts as a free agent. But Jamarcus Russell was an overall #1 and even Bill Walsh thought Trent Edwards was a keeper. That's why I stopped reading most pre-draft expert analysis. Notwithstanding nobody knows anything, drafting for need vs. taking a better player is a mistake. And if you can't tell who's a better player you're doomed anyway. A lot of guys simply can't play QB in the NFL.

So let me go out on a limb here with the big news headlines of the day: Tyree is starting! (Never mind he has no competition here.) Bills are going with a two-TE offense! Knox isn't being punished for his contract holdout! (Which isn't a holdout anyway if he's there and practicing.) Rookie minicamp . . . my nominee for the least newsworthy event on the NFL calendar.

This is exactly correct. As the article says: "The networks are not paying a rights fee, but ESPN and Fox are picking up production costs, which generally amount to around $400,000 per game, sources said. As part of the deal, the nets will sell ads around the game; the XFL will handle sponsorships at the venue." $400,000 for ~3 hours of national programming is actually pretty cheap. The play here is that enough people will watch any kind of football to get enough ads to cover the nut. If they can pedal spots for $25K to $50K the networks will actually make a few bucks on what might otherwise be dead air time. (I noticed that tonight one of the ESPN's was carrying women's corn hole, so my point about dead air time is already made.) There's a reason SEC games are televised on Saturdays and MAC games on Thursday nights. You can guess which ones get better ratings and ad revenues. Nevertheless, somebody will watch the lesser product in the offseason I suppose.

I know I'm dating myself but LOU SABAN said that way back when.

How soon they forget: #77 Ben Williams was pretty good too.

If so it's a guarantee he never makes the roster. They didn't retire Reuben Gant's number?

Why get someone who reminds you of Mike Glennon or Paxton Lynch or Brock Osweiler when you can probably get the real thing(s) pretty cheap?

I know, but I still think it's a pretty cool. I'm a big Tommy Lee fan.

I have no idea what kind of money he's made, but FWIW Tommy Lee Jones (Al Gore's roommate) played running back for Harvard. He was in the famous "Harvard Wins 29-29" game against Yale. I know, he "hit it big on something else," but still...

What makes the NE offense work, besides Brady's accuracy, is that he gets rid of the ball faster than the defense can fill in where his receivers are settling underneath (= quick reads, quick decision making, quick release). Serious question: can Allen do all that?

Here's what I'm hoping: someone out there loves Haskins and he slips to #9. The Bills trade back to someplace in the high teens plus a not late third or a late second.

I notice that his home field at Wyoming was named War Memorial Stadium. How perfect is that?

Help me out because I'm only following on Gamecenter. Is the wind really bad today?

Isn't Clint Frazier still in CP? We're only talking about 6 weeks for a non-playoff team and they say he mentors JA. He's as good as anyone else to run the scout team at #3.

Correct me if I'm wrong but I think the Bills are in line for a supplemental 3rd round pick if he lasts to the end of his contract and then signs elsewhere. 'Course with all that cap room the Bills are likely to sign more FA's than they lose so they wouldn't get supp picks anyway.

Could this be the opening Conor McDermott has been waiting for? And he's already on the roster!

And just watch, that 7th rounder Cleveland will pick is going to the HOF. Ahead of Matt Barkley. Seriously folks . . .

Already cut this year by NE and SF. Any insights on why? Is he just that bad?

At least 85% of our third-and-longs (let's say 7 or more to go) will be screen passes or flares. At least 65% of our third downs will be third and longs. Josh Allen will not start until at least the Titans game. If the Titans have a decent pass rush he won't start then either. The defense will be decent but will wilt in second halfs. Tremaine Edmunds will be Defensive ROY. He'll overrun everything in sight in September but by December 1 he'll be a stud. Corey Bojorquez will be in the NFL top 5 for gross punting average most of the season but will tail off in December when the home game winds and cold get to him.

Actually, Eli did NOT start until later in his rookie year. The Giants started what they thought was a washed-up Kurt Warner until Eli was ready for NFL speed AND their O-line had "gelled" enough to protect him a little. (They let Warner go and he went to the Super Bowl with AZ.) The Giants did the same thing with Joe Pisarcik and Phil Simms in Simms' rookie year.

Why did he make your list?

I vote no but not because of Allen or his skills -- it's because of the O-line. There's no point in making him a tackling dummy.

NFL Network carried the Browns' feed. Play-by-play was Somebody Crawford and color was Tim Couch. They were both terrible. Another example: before the commercial, "you don't see OPI three times in a season." After the commercial: "they'll call that [OPI] every time."

You may be right but I have a feeling it's as simple as both signed when they reported to camp and the Browns reported a day before the Bills. I think Allen was going to sign when he checked in and the language had already been worked out. (I also believe agents talk and Allen's and Mayfield's respective people had a good idea what was in the other one's contract before either signed.) But on Darnold, living here in NJ I've been reading more in the local stuff about Darnold isn't ready yet, Darnold doesn't process all that quickly, Darnold doesn't protect the ball, Darnold needs a lot of grooming, etc., etc., etc. It may all be smokescreen since he hasn't signed but it makes me wonder about all that Draft Day crap about the guy fairly glows in the dark with a football in his hand.