folz

Found the stats and videos from the Spring League in case anyone was curious how Fred and Boobie did. Freddie had 47 yards on 8 carries for a 5.9 yd/avg. Boobie had 55 yards on 6 carries for a 9.2 yd./avg. with a 49 yard TD. So most of his yards came on that one play. Box scores from the game: http://www.flofootball.com/article/59154-spring-league-showcase-player-stats#.WXWAxYWcG3D Video highlights from the game: http://www.flofootball.com/event/255811-the-spring-league-showcase/videos

No...there's at least two of us. And I find it interesting how angry many people get if you even question it.

I think that intel may be at least a year old. I remember hearing a rumor similar to that not last season, but the one before. Tyrod and Rex's first year. That either they were forcing too many balls to Sammy, even if he was covered, or Tyrod was staring him down a bit and some players thought the offense was better when the ball got spread around more. So, that would have been after Sammy called for the ball more and maybe while he was having that really good stretch at the end of 2015. Maybe that sentiment carried over a bit to last year, but with Sammy being out so much and the rest of the receiving core now having basically turned over, not to mention a new coaching staff, I don't think this is the current thought by anyone on the team, but instead was how some guys felt like a year or more ago. At least that's my recollection and assumption.

Guys will miss some tackles, it's the NFL afterall. The guys on the other side are pretty damn good too. But, I am excited to watch guys who are not just willing tacklers and run defenders, but guys who actually seek contact and like to hit hard: Shaq, Reggie, Tre, etc. Goodbye to players like Gilmore who dance and backpedal away from contact. As most coaches will tell you, Xs and Os are valuable, but football always comes down to the basics: Blocking and tackling. Two yard runs that turn into eight yards or a ten yard run that turns into a TD due to missed tackles is what can kill a team.

Dude, I hear you and I think so many of us feel similar---beat down by the mediocrity. I won't say we are going to be a playoff team this year, too much change to be sure of anything, as this threads posits, but I've decided to just enjoy watching football and rooting for the guys on our team (all of them). No idea what the win column will look like, but here is what I will be excited to watch this season, win or lose: 1. We have a hall-of-fame running back who makes moves few players who have ever played the game could make and one of the fastest, most elusive QBs the league has seen (whatever you think of the rest of his game). I'm sorry, but those guys are fun to watch and will definitely give us some eye-popping plays this year. #1 in rushing two years straight. 2. If Sammy is healthy for the majority of the season, ditto. Whatever you think of his tweets, his injuries, or how he was acquired, the kid is supremely talented. If he can stay on the field, it will be fun to watch him play. 3. The D-line. Three years ago, that D-line was a beast. Yes, we have Shaq rather than Mario, but I will enjoy watching a wall-of-famer in probably one of his last seasons, a rededicated Mr. Big Stuff, Jerry, and Shaq creating chaos in the backfield again. 4. Speaking of Shaq, I'm excited to see our young players play and develop. Shaq, Ragland, Tre, Zay, Dion, Kevon, J. Williams, etc. 5. I'm excited to see Micah Hyde in a Bills uniform. We may be hurting at safety depth. But Hyde is one of those kids that is always around the ball. I think he will be fun to watch. 6. We don't know how McDermott will be on game day, etc. yet. But I look forward to seeing a coach who can balance being liked by his players but still having discipline (unlike Rex and Marrone who were on opposite ends of that spectrum). A football team needs accountability and discipline, but it also needs comradery and cohesiveness. I thick coach can at least deliver on that and that is the type of team I want to root for. 7. Whatever the outcome this year, I do feel like we are building to something with the new FO and coaching staff---a plan, a vision---rather than just hiring who ever will take the job cheap and then simply patching the leaky holes and hoping for the best. So, even if it doesn't happen this year, I feel like its coming. Would it have been as fun watching the '90 or '91 team without having seen them go through '86-'89 first? Watching that team come together and almost reach the pinnacle was more satisfying because we were there for the whole ride. I could probably go on, but the point being, yes, we all want to see this team win again and it sucks when they lose, but there are plenty of reasons to watch this coming season. This is not your early- to mid-2000s teams that were mediocre because their talent across the board was so mediocre, which equated to boring games. We have some real, legit, playmakers, who if nothing else, will at least make this team exciting to watch. I look forward to seeing a hard-nosed, competitive team playing some good football, win or lose. Hopefully that leads to more wins, if not immediately, in the near future.

In Fitz's defense, at the time we let him go, I remember guys saying the same things...he's never been more than a backup, he sucks, he shouldn't be starting, third stringer at best. And at that time I crunched some numbers (so this is pre-Titans, Houston, and Jets---maybe I should revisit those numbers) and Fitz basically came out every season around the 15-17 range of QBs in the league. People way over exaggerate his suckitude. I'm not saying you want him as your starter for a long time because he does give games away when he has to press in the 4th quarter, he has a hard time throwing deep outs (arm strength), and no team should be satisfied with a mediocre starting QB. And you can talk all you want about the QB talent-level in the league being low (and I'll agree with you), but it doesn't change the fact that while he was with the Bills (and the one year in Cinci), he was an average starting QB, ranking ahead of a good 15 or so other starters in the league each season he started. So, give the guy his due...he most certainly deserved to be a starter in this league, if only for the fact that there were never 32 guys significantly better than him. You're not pinning your hopes on him, but he was better than a lot of what else was out there. That's why it has been tough on teams whether it be signing him or releasing him. You know he isn't going to take you to the promised land, but he was probably better than each team's other options. Let's look at the quarterbacking situation of each team the year after they each dumped Fitz: 2013 Bills: EJ Manuel and Thad Lewis 2014 Titans: Charlie Whitehurst and Zach Mettenberger 2015 Texans: Brian Hoyer and Brandon Weeden 2017 Jets: Hackenberg and Petty???? I don't see any upgrades there. Like I said, you could do a lot worse than Fitz, so please stop claiming that he wasn't worthy of being a starter all these years. Mediocre, middle-of-the-pack starter, yes...but a starter none the less (not a career back-up or third stringer), at least in this era of weak QB play. Ok, have at me...

At VY's interception rate, if he had 166 TDs like Fitz, he would have had 184 interceptions...51 more INTs than Fitz. If you're going to call someone out for something (as a reason why you should be playing over them), you should at least be able to demonstrate that you are better than that person in that particular stat.

I don't think the writer knows what "tanking" means (see 2011 Colts/current Jets) The Bills are doing what he says: straightening out the salary cap by not spending recklessly or putting too much money into the future, collecting draft capital (the extra 1st next year to grab a QB), etc. But all of that is exactly what Beane and McDermott have been saying...we are trying to win now, but not by sacrificing being able to have sustained success into the future. That is not tanking, that is being smart with a team in a bit of a transition.

Interesting that he lists receiving touchdowns for some RBs and not others. He did not give that stat for Thurman, despite Thurm having more receiving TDs than anyone on that list, except for Marshall Faulk. Emmit Smith and Curtis Martin are so overrated (not just by this list, but in general). And Bo doesn't deserve to be up there...it's not a who could have been great list, but who was great (which also eliminates Zeke as others said). As far as Thurman goes, I would say there are only 5 or 6 guys on that list ahead of him that are definitely greater players than he was. Then there are about 7 more guys that I think you could have a healthy debate about if they were better than Thomas or not, maybe agreeing that 3-4 of them were. So, I would slot Thurman in somewhere between 9 and 12.

The only other games during the drought that come to mind as far as being close to that level of disappointment, although playoffs weren't on the line like in the Steelers game, was the Monday night loss to Dallas, letting them comeback and take that one still burns, and maybe the Leodis fumble against the Patriots in 2009; Pats scoring 2 TDs in the last two minutes of the game. But, I'm surprised the 90s teams only made the list once, and at 22, as far as offense goes (I don't have ESPN Insider, so just going off what the OP said). I wonder if it is a different era issue (more points get scored now). Other possibilities from the available excerpt could be that DVOA limits the value of big or long plays because they aren't as repeatable. The K-gun scored fast, which meant a lot of big plays. DVOA also, apparently, takes into account field position based on special teams. The 90s teams were excellent, so maybe that weighs in too.What else? Or were they just not as prolific as my memory tells me they were? As I said, didn't see the whole article, so I'm not sure which teams are on the list, etc. Just surprised that the 90s team wasn't better represented.

Hey, good for Maclin. It may turn out well for him or it could be a bad decision, we will see. But as always, I want guys who want to be here...that is important to the whole team concept. You know who does want to be here and to get their shot? Guys like Jones, Holmes, and Brown. They may feel they have even more to prove now (after the Maclin scare). Let's see what you got Zay, Andre, and Philly. Stay young and hungry Bills!

Just for some perspective, regarding averaging 300 yards a game, it ain't easy! In the last 4 seasons, QBs have averaged more than 300 yds/game for an entire season only 9 times (and 4 of those are Drew Brees)---so basically Drew Brees and one other QB each year average 300 yards a game for the season. (Rothlisberger is the only other QB to do it more than once in the last 4 seasons---he did it twice.) Now, 18 QBs last season averaged at least 250 yards a game for the season...but each of those QBs had somewhere between 73 and 237 more pass attempts than Tyrod. So, it is kind of hard to judge by yards/game when there is so much disparity in the number of attempts. So, let's take a look at avg. yds/pass. In 2016, Tyrod did not have a good average with 6.9 yds per pass play, putting him in the bottom half of the league. But in 2015, when he had better/healthier weapons, he averaged 8.0 yds per pass play, good for 5th in the league (for QBs who threw more than 35 passes). And if we were to extrapolate those number out to say a Drew Brees number of attempts, Tyrod would have averaged about 290 yds/game last year and a whopping 330 yds/game in 2015. So, again you can't look at yards per game without looking at number of attempts. And although I do expect us to still be a run first team, I guarantee with healthier weapons and Dennison's system, Tyrod will be throwing the rock more this season than last. We will be more balanced. And what, with all of these Western New Yorkers, no sauce recipes yet? Or a debate between the terms sauce and gravy?

My heart says yes, but my mind says it's probably too late. But I agree with others, bring him in at vet minimum, see what he has left---if nothing, he retires as a Bill. Just spitballin' here. Yes, Fred is 36 and most RBs are long done before that age. But is it because of the age or more because of the pounding that running backs take? If you are a speed runner, then by 36, that speed has probably diminished enough to make you pedestrian. But Freddie was never a speed guy. And if the pounding is the bigger problem for RBs, well because of Freddie's late start, he has actually taken less pounding than some other guys, so maybe his body isn't as beaten down. Plus he just had a whole year to recuperate. Just for instance: Fred has 1,305 carries in his career Shady has 1,898 Demarco Murray has 1,420 Jonathan Stewart has 1,501 LeGarette Blount 1,168 Matt Forte has 2,253 and Frank Gore (who does look beat down) has 2,965 career carries, well more than twice what Fred has Maybe age does trump all, but who knows. As others have said, he is a beast at blitz pickup. We did give up a lot of sacks last year. And he's great catching passes out of the backfield. And his running style is not built on speed, but rather smarts, vision, and angles. It is probably just a pipe dream, but could you imagine if he did come back and still had enough left to solidly contribute for one more season. Maybe make the playoffs and then retire as a Bill? I would love to see Freddie go out like that. But that's my heart talking again.

I'm actually excited to see what Tyrod will do this year in Dennison's system and with better weapons around him...especially if Maclin is signed. Tyrod, Shady, Sammy, Maclin, Zay, and Clay should be a tough match-up for any defensive coordinator. That is a lot of speed and shiftiness on the field at the same time. And don't underestimate Tyrod's work ethic. Yes, there are things he needs to improve on in his game, but who is to say that he can't improve. The guy wants to be the best and works tirelessly at it. He now has two years playing experience. He could still be on an upward trend. So, no, I wouldn't want to trade for Rivers. For once, there actually seems to be a plan at the QB position. We roll with Tyrod this year and see how it goes. If he takes the next step, great you have your QB. If not, we have Peterman being groomed and 2 first rounders next year to grab a QB in the draft, in what has been said to be a good QB class, if need be.

Are people really still kvetching over comp. picks? My God...you put the best team you can on the field and let those picks fall as they may. Are you really going to release a player you want to keep or not pick up a player you want because of a comp. pick? They're nice to have, but what's the old saying, a bird in the hand is worth two in the bush. Maclin just turned 29 less than a month ago, so I don't think age is the issue (as a couple of posters posited). I had him on my fantasy keeper team the last 3 years with mixed results and a very disappointing year last year, so I would be a bit hesitant about picking him up. (I know fantasy ff is not a good determination for real football, but when you have a guy have a down year, it's hard to trust him again, whether that is rational or not.) But, injury, KC's scheme, and Alex Smith all also played into his down numbers as well. I think KC released him (cap savings) because he is being paid as a #1 receiver, but is really probably only a number 2 (I'd say a top-end #2), but last year performed more like a #3. But he would be an upgrade for the Bills right now and a good get, but only at a reasonable salary. If he is still looking for #1 money (or close to it), the Bills should pass.

So, just curious if anyone has heard anything recent about Barnidge? From a quick Google search it seems: Barnidge officially visited the Bills Early May, tweet that he will probably visit the Panthers and Jaguars, but I couldn't find anything saying that he actually did visit either of those teams after his Kentucky Derby break. Article saying Panthers were unlikely Articles and radio interview where he said he has "heard" from a number of teams, interest from Denver, but he has only talked to a couple of Broncos coaches that he knew, nothing official. Then Broncos head coach then said he is happy with the TEs he has and also an article saying Denver wouldn't do more than a low-risk deal if they did anything. But no official visit or anything. Has he really only met with the Bills?

First of all, you always listen to trade offers---doesn't mean you do it, but you'd be a fool not to at least listen to what is being offered. I also agree that you should rarely give up elite talent and if they did trade Sammy, I would hope that it is at least for a 1st. Of course, I'd much rather Sammy stay, stay healthy, and become a consistent elite player for the Bills for years to come. But, it's not an easy call with Sammy. Sammy has played in 37 of a possible 48 games (missing 11 games), although he was limited by injury in probably another 10-14 of the games he did play. He is averaging 66 yds/game and .68 TDs/game. Looking at the stats, Sammy's had like 12 games that could be considered elite level (10 100-yard games, although only 3-multiple-TD games). That's just under 1/3 of the games he's played, and if you include the games he's missed, then over the last 3 years, the Bills got elite-level Sammy for 25% of their games. In a 16-game season that would be 4 games of elite-level play. That's not enough. Of course, coaching, scheme, QB play, etc. all play into it too, but you're not going to pay elite money for 4 games a year. I hope Sammy stays, remains healthy, and fully reaches his potential, but you can't blame the club either for taking a hard look at the situation and having some healthy debate on whether to stick with him or move on. I'd rather see him play this year before making that decision, but if the foot still nags him this year, or if he gets another injury then you're probably getting nothing for him next year. So, you have to at least think about it. Along with versatility and character, McDermott seems to put a high price on durability as well. (apropos clichés: Can't make the club in the tub; the best ability is availability)

Peterman didn't impress me all that much with his throws, but he was steady and looked really poised in the pocket (he was under a lot of pressure). But Zay was outstanding. My favorite plays weren't even the TDs (or TD callback, though that was outstanding awareness and athleticism), it was the two, maybe 10-15-yard outs at around 1:28 and 6:39. He just plucks the ball out of the air on both of them. His hand-eye coordination and his stickum hands are impressive. And then on the sidebar of YouTube there was a Tyrod Taylor highlights video, so I watched that too. And I saw Sammy doing the same thing, snatching that ball out of the air with quick hands. It looked the same with Zay. If these two guys stay healthy it could be a pretty sweet tandem.

I hear ya ScottLaw...all the talking in the world won't buy us any wins and we have seen plenty of empty talking. But, these guys are going to be with us for at least the next three years (hopefully more if they succeed), so I do like articles like this to help me get a better idea about who these guys are as people, so I know who I'm rooting for.

Excellent, well-informed posts Yolo! The big takeaways imo are: So many people have wanted a house-cleaning, well, this is what it looks like. It's not unprecedented and the above reasoning makes a lot of sense. Couldn't agree more. If you get two really solid guys to fill those roles, either via promotion or whatever, then you also open up a whole other pool of scouting candidates that have ties to those two guys. On top of the ties that Beane and McD have. So according to that link (from May 1st), there are (not counting the guys the Bills fired) about 25 guys who were in an NFL front office/scouting dept. last year that are currently available. There may also be qualified guys who did not have a job last year for whatever reason (timing, etc.), but have NFL experience. There may be young guys, former players, etc. that Beane, MCD, or the new Directors of Pro & College Scouting (once hired) know that they think are ready to become scouts. There may be guys outside the NFL (that work for these scouting firms, etc.) that could be options. And there is the option of giving promotions to guys currently on other teams that are ready to take the next step (hopefully like Beane and McD are). Not to mention that Beane said he has already had a lot of people contact him about wanting to come to Buffalo to work for him. That should all be a big enough pool to find 15-20 qualified people.

Although it was said at the time he was drafted that he could set the edge and was good against the run, he did have 12.5 sacks in 15 games his junior year (just before coming out). So, I wouldn't say that rushing the passer isn't part of his game.

Question about the Rooney Rule...not related to the Bills GM search, just a thought that crossed my mind. Let's say a team is really narrowed in on the coach or GM they want but have to interview someone for the Rooney Rule, but all of the likely minority interviewees refuse the offer because they know it would just be a formality and they don't really have a shot? I mean, what if you couldn't get a qualified minority candidate to actually interview, then what?

Are some of you guys kidding? Winning is great, but it is not always the most important thing. I'd rather root for a team led by Jim Kelly every time! I would hate rooting for that whiner Brady. No question Brady has a ton of mental toughness, but he wouldn't have lasted one season back in the day with the way QBs got plastered back then. Kelly was tough as nails both mentally and physically and I think his game was more fun/interesting to watch than Brady's. And as crazy as it may sound, I'd take those 4 SB losses over 4 SB wins with Brady any day because of everything else it meant. The comradeship and family atmosphere of that team, the perseverance and resiliency (great life lessons for us all). It was special to root for that team. The players, the cities (I include Rochester in that), the coaches, heck even the media, we all bonded together. As fans you felt like those guys were part of your family. (I hope some of you younger fans get to eventually experience that.) And Jim was a huge part of that happening. The team parties at his house after each game, etc., etc. I don't think New England has anything like that despite multiple SB wins and a lot of that has to do with the personalities of the Hoodie and Tom (as opposed to Marv and Jim)---and of course Boston fans compared to Buffalo fans. So, no question, I'm taking Kelly over Brady every time!

Thanks for everything Doug! Your hard work in stabilizing the football side of this organization and vastly improving the roster despite it being a very difficult transition period for this franchise is not lost on many of us fans. Good luck moving forward!

One of my all-time favorite posters...but what happened to the over-sized font and boldface Deep Voice?