[Will the Browns regret it … Mayfield named as starter in Carolina]

Independent of the Watson decision, I actually applaud the Browns for recognizing that Baker was never going to be more than a middle tier QB and cutting bait before they just up and gave him a second contract. 

 

That's some actual strategic level thinking, and also realizing that despite his #1 draft status, that once you have the guy in the building, he's essentially a sunk cost and you don't waste time and energy throwing good money after bad

[Howard Simon "Winding down" from WGR]

2 minutes ago, BTB said:

I think this is because he longs to be hired by the Bills.  Unfortunately, Chris Brown is in that role, and he probably won’t be going anywhere for a long time. 

 

You're probably on to something there.  I'd forgotten about this, but I remember one of those pre-game "round table" segments from last year.  Might even have been pre-season

 

Chris Brown's mike wasn't working properly, but Sal spouted out some hot take, and well, all of a sudden the mike came back on and we heard Chris Brown mutter "Jesus f***ing Christ"

 

So that fits the narrative of there potentially being some professional bad blood between those two

[Howard Simon "Winding down" from WGR]

2 minutes ago, Stads said:

I don't know how I would feel about Sal taking over. His football knowledge is greatly appreciated, but his storytelling seems so self-absorbed. I know I'm in the minority but I like him in the role he currently has and don't need him having more airtime

 

Sal's voice and overall shtick are tolerable in small doses, i.e. updates from the sideline and regular call in segments, but the thought of him hosting a show for 3 hours would be a rough listen.  Plus, he's become a little bit too much of a jock-sniffer from having close access to the team over the past few years

 

[Special Teams play not so special]

My god, if you're complaining about coverage units in the pre-season having a few challenges, you might need to do some critical thinking about a couple of things:

 

1. The players that aren't playing in the game that might just might be really good at special teams.  I heard there were a few of those in that group last week
2. The players that are playing in the game that aren't making the team
3. The fact that it's pre-season

[James Cook is going to be a major problem]

James Cook = 1988 Thurman Thomas

[Ford on Kromer (Paywall)]

Watching the team run the ball in limited pre-season action so far - it's amazing to see what Kromer is already bringing to the table.

 

I feel like the addition of him to the team (or finally jettisoning Bobby Johnson) is going to make a huge difference for this team.  

 

If we have a balanced non-Josh rushing attack, this team is nearly unstoppable

[Could OJ Howard be on the trade block?]

I don't think OJ Howard is going anywhere, but Tommy Sweeney might just as well get fitted now for a Giants jersey.  

 

I get that the locker room loves Sweeney, but at some point, they guy has to show that he can actually play.

 

We're not keeping 3 TE's.  OJ has a cost-prohibitive contract, and Morris has also flashed more long-term potential than Sweeney as well.

[2022 Tremaine Edmunds Prediction & Watch Thread]

I don't think it's ridiculous to ask the guy to make some actual plays on the field.

 

I get all the talk about his leadership, the coordination, and how his speed and physical talent makes it tough on opposing passing defenses.  Seemingly, that's how the coaching staff values Edmunds, and that doesn't always lend itself to stats, or him always being at the spot on the field where the ball is being thrown.

 

But if he's the athlete that he's supposed to be, I expect to see what I say from Cornelius Bennett 30+ years ago. 

Chasing ball-carriers down from behind, instead of always being caught in the wash of OL getting to the second level. 

Plugging the gap and shedding blockers, instead of being muscled out of the play

Actually getting in the neighborhood of the QB on the few times he's allowed to rush the passer

Taking some chances and stepping into passing lanes instead of just positioning himself to make the tackle

 

So yeah, I get that what he does bring elevates the play of the entire defense.  But I'm NOT dishing out dollar #1 for a second contract without seeing him be better in all the areas I described above.  I don't think it's irrational to ask that out of what he brings to the table physically.  Otherwise, I'm willing to watch Bernard or even Spector play the position for a rookie contract salary in 2023

[Bills' ticket prices soar as new season fast approaches]

I bought tickets for 6 games (4 home, 2 road) shortly after they went on sale to the public in May

 

Nearly all of them have doubled in price since then.  I can't remember that ever happening, but it's certainly indicative of demand to see the Bills this year, wherever they're playing.  

 

If they get home field advantage this year, playoff tickets are going to be insane.  I might venture $1000 minimum for the AFC championship

 

[OT: Belichick says that Mac's improvement is "dramatic"]

2 hours ago, Big Turk said:

I don't think he understands the concept of high floor, low ceiling like Alex Smith.

 

Especially when people get to see the difference between him and Josh Allen twice a year. And let's be honest, it's a stark difference in physical talent. Jones is Clark Kent to Allen's Superman and there is no phone booth on the sidelines or locker room for Jones to go in to transform.

 

Couple this with the disaster that will be Patricia and Judge acting as defacto OCs this year and lack of skill position talent still and I find it hard to see how Jones has a better year than he did last year under McDaniels who while potentially being a total douchebag and poor HC, is a pretty damn good OC.

 

He is what he is. A good game manager that doesn't have the physical ability to force teams to respect him the way they do Allen or Mahomes or Herbert.

 

Not saying he can't have a long career and be very successful during the regular season, he can. Chiefs had the best record in the NFL over the near decade that Smith was their QB in the regular season. But we all saw how his lack of physical ability was exposed during the playoffs. Reid didn't win the Super Bowl until Mahomes was his QB.

 

Sure he might have some limited success early on in the playoffs but unless he has an unbelievable team surrounding him like the 2000 Ravens or Broncos had with Peyton Manning, they won't be winning the SB because of him.

 

https://www.nbcsports.com/boston/patriots/ex-nfl-gm-chooses-patriots-qb-mac-jones-sneaky-2022-mvp-pick

 

Ummm, that's some fairly revisionist history regarding Alex Smith

 

He played in KC for 5 seasons (2013-2017) and compiled a 50-26 record.  They made the playoffs 3 of those years, and their best season with him at QB was 11-5

During that same timeframe, Tom Brady was 60-16

Peyton Manning's last 5 seasons, he was 55-16

 

I get the comparison somewhat, but Mac Jones hasn't shown even the physical ability that Alex Smith had in his career.  There's a reason why he was the #1 overall pick in 2005

 

To me, Mac Jones is more like a Chad Pennington - cerebral, accurate, but you knew what his ceiling was going to be VERY early on in his career

Chad Pennington - 44-37 record, 102 TD's, 64 INT's, 66% completions, and went 2-4 in the playoffs for teams that were usually good but never great

 

[Patriots sign TE Jalen Wydermyer]

DOOOOOOOOOOMED!!!!!!

[The State of the Bills the last time we played the Broncos in preseason]

10 minutes ago, Draconator said:

This player wasn't the best at his position on the 2011 team, but I'd go with Roscoe Parrish, just for the outside deep threat. Opens things up underneath for Diggs and co. 

 

Yeah, the 2022 Bills won't go anywhere without a guy that played 6 years in the league, scored 7 TD's and averaged 11.2 YPC.  

He barely sniffs the field with this team unless it's on special teams

 

[ESPN position rankings]

I think that this says a lot about the Bills approach to team-building.  

 

Don't devote all of your resources into one or two specific areas at the detriment of other position groups.

 

Draft, develop, retain, and value depth

 

Have a cohesive short-term and long-term vision

 

Once McBeane weeded out all the baggage, you really can't say that we're weak or bottom of the league at any position groups. 

That plus a Top 5 QB, is how championships are won

[Potential big day for Joe Klecko]

I was not quite old enough to have watched and appreciated all of the football that was played in the 1980's

 

But I don't remember ever thinking that Joe Klecko was a dominating HOF type player.  Yes, he did a lot of the dirty work that helped free up Gastineau and got a lot of sacks in his own right, but Hall of Fame?  Nah.  Hall of Very Good - sure, why not

 

And just for S&G, I looked up career AV on Pro Football Reference just now:

 

Joe Klecko - 91

Fred Smerlas - 104

 

And no one's really ever been banging the drum for old Freddy to get in

[Big brawl at Pats/Panthers joint practice]

That's already more fight than any of the Pats put up against us in last year's playoffs

[Who backs up Davis?]

23 minutes ago, ganesh said:

You were watching pre-season game of Jacksonville ?????

 

It was more to see what happened with Watson than anything else.  But god help me, I lived in Jacksonville for 2 years.  I went to one game and that was only with free tickets.  Never again

[Giants claim Olaijah Griffin off waivers]

The Giants will be starting Tommy Sweeney at TE at some point this year

 

[Thoughts about starters during the rest of preseason]

I think that with this week being at home that we'll see more starters than this past week, then let them rest for Week 3

[Who backs up Davis?]

Zay Jones

 

The Jax homer announcers were practically self-fellating themselves over his potential during the first pre-season game.  

Plus, I've heard of him

[Jimmy G trade market dry due to his offseason disappearing acts?]

I'm sure that he's not much of a turd blossom as folks like Jay Cutler or Jeff George, but I would say the bigger mitigating factor is the $20M salary cap figure that he's currently carrying and the fact that it's now less than 4 weeks until Week 1.  

 

The ship has sailed for anyone trading anything worthwhile for him when they could just wait for the Niners to blink and issue his release once healthy

[Stefon’s blue cheese kinda sucks. Stick to WR.]

I'm sure that he was intimately involved in working with the manufacturer on the recipe, ingredients, packaging, taste-testing, production, marketing, pricing, distribution, and transportation processes.  He's also at each of the stores where it's currently being sold, is ringing up each purchase and collecting carts in the parking lot too.

 

And he takes criticism of all his efforts here extremely personally, so he's monitoring this specific thread and his twitter feed for any negative comments too

[This year’s (2022) draft may turn out to be shockingly good]

40 minutes ago, Sierra Foothills said:

 

Weird that the draft assessment you posted above doesn't include Greg Rousseau or Boogie Basham.

 

For a point of comparison the 2016 draft was the last one not done by this regime:

 

1st Round Shaq Lawson

2nd Round Reggie Ragland

3rd Round Adolphus Washington

4th Round Cardale Jones

5th Round Jonathan Williams

6th Round Colby Listenbee

6th Round Kevon Seymour

 

Do you have an opinion about how this team has drafted under the new regime?

 

I just threw up in my mouth a little bit after reading that sad collection of names

[Tim Settle looked pretty darn good]

I think this guy is going to be a sneaky good-to-great pickup for us. 

 

Still relatively young, athletic, hungry

 

And god help us, probably a much better value than Star ever was or could have been

[Bills disappointed in Elam's potential to contribute this year? (unfounded internet rumor)]

Yeah I might decide to see him on the field in actual live game action before I crown him Busty McBustoffson

[Mac Jones has a picture from the blowout playoff loss to the Bills in his locker]

I'd be more than happy to face the trio of Tua, Mac & Zac for the next 5-10 years

 

Nothing to fear with those clowns