Rzon604

Flex scheduling starts in Week 11. No, they can't flex the Thanksgiving games. My prediction is that the Bills-Titans game on Dec. 4 gets flexed. 2 good teams, and the current Sunday night game is Indianapolis at New England (ugh).

Yes, when it comes to charitable donation, Ralph is extremely generous. He is always donating to hurricane relief, Roswell, etc. Keep in mind this all can be deducted from one's taxes. But still, he deserves to be commended for his generosity. When it comes to running the football team, he is cheap. When people say Ralph is cheap, they're talking about his football management. There's a big difference. I don't recall anyone saying wasn't socially consious. You're taking two different things and conflating them.

The first few responses to the original post is proof this message board is filled with idiots, by far the worst Bills board. The poster made a legitimate point, something that recently crossed my mind. All the subsequent posters either have their facts wrong or are ignorant (which is my experience on TBD every time I post). Nelson was at the very first OTA last week, but has now missed the next 4. So he's one for 5. Same thing last year; he would be there for the first day then miss a week, make it for a day, then miss a week, etc. In other words, after today he'll have the same attendance rate as Lynch. Since the start of his career, he's missed three times more practice than he actually participates in. If you recall, Nelson was also injured for more games than he actually played in last year. The lack of practice and/or commitment is really showing. People speculating he had a death in the family or something else is just that, speculation. The fact is, he misses so much practice time it is implausible that these death theories are true. I doubt he's had a death in the family every week of practice since he joined the team. He's hurting his development, big time. I've read or watched every interview from the staff, Chris Brown, etc. and there is not one single indication that Nelson has missed this time due to personal issues.

You can watch any game you'd like online at cbssports.com. If you download MS Silverlight you can watch in HD, stream is only about 5 second behind real-time. If you get the CBS college station they may be showing games on that channel too, but I wouldn't count on it. I doubt they'll show the Cuse game in Illinois, and I don't think they give you a regional map like in football. Best bet is on-line, at least you're guaranteed to be able to watch.

you insinuated I was an idiot and what about my point was incoherent

If someone attacks me personally, or misrepresents what I say I will respond in kind. I'm not trying to bully anybody. If you read all my posts, I admitted maybe I was too harsh but when I heard Ellison was the first RFA tendered I don't see the logic behind that. And because I have 18 posts I somehow have less credibility or knowledge than someone with 3,000? Isn't that a person attack on me - telling me I'm an idiot or have no credibility because I haven't posted often? Sorry, but the poster you referenced attacked me first. He also stated argue Ellison is "highly coveted cover man"; that shows a lack of knowledge. I made the very sound point that Jauron saw him as a run-stuffer, not a cover man (as evidenced by the fact Ellison was not in the nickel package to start the season). You're entitled to your own opinion, not your own facts. I would think that a sports writer would be a little more able to read an statement, examine the facts, etc. Your guilty of doing the same thing you're accusing me of. And on top of that, you're wrong.

Another idiotic response - go back to the original post. The guy called me an idiot and that there have been 'dozens' of current Bills that people like me WANTED RUN OUT OF TOWN (just like Ellison) and they went on to have success on other teams. I said Leonard and Bannan have had success, but THEY WERE NOT RUN OUT OF TOWN. Fat Pat was not run out of town. EVERYONE wanted him re-signed Winfield was not run out of town. EVERYONE wanted him re-signed Jabari WAS NOT RUN OUT OF TOWN Aiken was not run out of town, and I would hardly say he's been anything special Willis was run out of town, but not because he couldn't play. You are yet another person incapable of reading something and understanding. There sure seem to be a ton on this board. Every time I have been attacked the person has had bad facts, misrepresented what I said, or both.

Gary Brackett is an inside linebacker. Ellison could not replace him, he is strictly a weakside LB. Can anyone make a coherent point here?

You seem to be very confused. There's no limit on the number of tenders the team can extend. Even if a player is tendered they can still reach a long-term agreement.

profootballtalk.com has it covered....visited them last year for the first time on FA day, dude it's the best

This is mostly why I'm so pissed Ellison was tendered. You take care of one of the least valuable RFA's, but wait until the last minute to tender Wilson, Incogs, Scott and maybe Schouman? What sense does that make, and what message does it send. 3 hours left to tender players and still no word on if we're going to retain some of the limited number of quality players we have. It just seems like same old stupidity from this team. I hope I'm wrong, but I don't understand what good waiting until the last minute does. When I heard Ellison was the first one tendered, I snapped.

The original poster of that statement said last year Ellison was not supposed to be the opening day starter. That is categorically false. John the Helmet replied with an irrelevancy of what happened two years ago, which was never debated. Yes, Ellison was an accidental starter two years ago when Crowell got surgery a week before the season started. No one is debating Ellison was an accidental starter two years ago. But the original poster was 100% wrong saying Ellison was an injury replacement last year. John the Helmet is also wrong in saying that Incognito WAS tendered. That was an article by Patrick Moran stating the Bills wanted to sign G. Wilson long-term, but if they couldn't he WOULD be tendered (which still hasn't happened), and Incognito WAS GOING to be tendered. Reading comprehension is a lost skill, very sad.

Hallelujah! Someone on this board with a brain!

Another false statement. None of the LB's were hurt on opening day. Let's refresh your memory - they brought in several LB's during FA but decided to go with Ellison as the starter. Jauron "liked him a lot." He has started for 3 years. He was not an injury replacement, let's not revise history. The Bills willingly went into the season with him as a starter.

The fact you said he is "highly regarded as a cover linebacker" shows you are as bright as a 5 watt light bulb. Good luck finding one other person anywhere to agree with you. He was only in the game at the end because Poz was hurt, so in the nickel package HE WASN'T EVEN SUPPOSED TO BE ON THE FIELD, so he was not one of the top 2 cover-guys, out of 3. Get a brain, doctor.

Since you're so smart, please name the 'dozens' of former Bills players currently enjoying success on other teams. There's Jim Leonard, who was well liked as nice player. You can also argue for Justin Bannan, who was a nice DT back-up, and was a nice rotational player for the Ravens. I don't recall anyone wanting to run these two out of town. Please name the other 'dozens' of players currently enjoying success. Interesting you call people morons but can't spell "nickel" correctly. Ellison is a cover 2 weakside LB, and an average to below average one at that. He is not a fit in the 3-4. Anyone with a brain knows that. Perhaps you lack one. So "letting him go for nothing is idiotic?" Well if no one signs Ellison and the Bills end up cutting him later and getting nothing, you're saying the Bills are idiotic? You're guilty of what you accuse others of being - a self-professed expert on personnel. You'll see that no other GM wants Ellison. I suppose they're all buffoons too. Keep drinking the kool-aid dude.

"He is highly regarded as a cover linebacker"?! What are you talking about? Remember the Pats opener? Have you watched Keith Ellison play before? Seriously? Anyone who thinks some team is going to sign Ellison for draft-pick comp is delusional. That must be the Bills thinking, but it ain't going to happen.

http://www.wgr550.com/pages/6495905.php What a joke. Nice first move of FA, tender a useless 220 pound LB who doesn't fit inside or outside in your scheme. Nice job. This pisses me off so much, I thought we were finally rid of this d.b.

Don't agree. You fall into the 'continuity' category. continuity blah blah blah. It's a bad move to move Wood back to his all-american position? it's a bad idea to move Levitre back to his natural position? Gimme a break. The o-line sucked how is putting guys back to where they should have been in the first place a bad idea? Could it be any worse? Remember, Jauron was retained due to 'continuity's' sake. Brandon is the de facto GM because Ralph wanted 'continuity.' Guards and Centers block whoever is lined up in front of them, continuity don't mean jack. According to your viewpoint, the Bills destroyed the 'continuity' of these guys from college to the pros when they moved their positions. And Hang played guard in Carolina, so they destroyed his mental 'continuity' when he was moved to Center for the Bills. We're starting from scratch here, and you don't NOT move guys to their BEST positions just because you had them in wrong position to begin with. The Bills staff got too cute and outsmarted themselves. Put the guys where they belong 'continuity' be damned.

Good to see we're not alone in our stupidity of premature extentions. I always thought this guy was a joke.

Chris Brown posted that as of last week, he was still in a wheelchair. Not good. People here are giving Butler too much credit. No way you pencil him in as the starter. He needs to compete for a job. People saying the fact we lost the three games he missed last year as proof he is a good or above average player is a joke. He is injury prone. The fact that the line went downhill after he went out proves nothing. Even Bell looked okay v. NE (despite all the penalties) then went downhill fast. Hangartner is average (but better than Preston and Fowler). I wish they stuck with Levitre at LT, he seemed to do pretty good the one game he played there. How can anyone say McKinney is solid he played in one game and got hurt twice! He is a Whittle clone. Chambers is trash this year. Butler needs to compete at RT with a mid-level FA or draft pick. Best case scenario in my view is keep Incognito at RG (assuming no labor deal and he is an RFA), Levitre at LG or LT, move Wood back to his ALL-AMERICAN position at C, make Handgarnter your dependable back-up in the interior (like he was at CAR), and draft a LT in round 1 or 2. If you like Levitre at LT (his college position) than you can keep Hangartner in the starting lineup with Wood. One of them would be C and the other LG. My best 8 men: Scenario 1: LT: Levitre LG: Handgartner C: Wood RG: Incognito RT: Mid-level FA / draft pick or Butler (if he EARNS it, no hand-out) Swing tackles: Bell and Meredith Interior back-up: Butler back to Guard Practice squad: Ramsey Scenario 2: LT: Draft Pick LG: Levitre C: Wood RG: Incognito RT: Mid-level FA / Bell or Butler (open competition) Swing tackles: Bell / Butler / draft pick Interior back-up: Handgartner Practice squad: Ramsey, Meredith Either way we still have a very young line that will continue to experience growing pains. Expect them to struggle again next year, at least initially.

Browns won't beat the Jags. We'll be drafting 9th. Remember we play the 14-1 Colts this week, so our SOS will obviously pass the Raiders, since we were only 'ahead' of them by one game in the SOS race. If we beat the Colts backups we'll be picking 10th. Jeez, a 5-11 season only nets us the 9th pick, a TON of bad teams this year. Normally this should be a top 5 pick.

He was in there in the 4th Q with the 3rd team O-line, playing RG.