Dr. Trooth

He's a big un... from the 3rd ranked NFL defense (Raiders) and he was in on 41 tackles sharing time with Tommy Kelly. "He" is Terdell Sands, 6'7" 335 lbs. 28 years old. I've heard of him, but I don't recall ever having seen him play.

Has Everett been injured, or have the Bills given up on him? I've seem Royal, Cieslak, and Murphy getting the playing time. What gives... is he circling the drain?

Dude... we're all nobody...unless one of us is God. Doc is right... basically you can't unring bells that already rang. WM played those two games against the Jets and ,+ or -, they are part of his portfolio. My son-in-law once told my nephew that "if your uncle had a vagina he'd be your aunt". Somewhere in that quote there is a dab of useless information but a dab of reality too.

My 2 cents is this... Willis will have to play for a contract, if he plays at all. The Bills must protect themselves from a potential holdout by Willis as well. That stated, it is very unlikely that they would consider themselves protected simply, and only, by drafting a rookie in round 3-4. I don't see them grabbing a back in round 1 or 2. So, I would think they would make a pitch at a RB in free agency...Ladell Betts (if he hasn't signed with skins) or Michael Turner, perhaps. If the Bills wave starting RB money at either of these guys, they win. SD will not match the starter money on Turner to continue as LT's caddy. Betts, as long as Portis is in town, is his caddy... so you've go to believe he would jump at a chance to start elsewhere. The only thing that the Bills have to figure out how to do is sell a FA RB such as the above that, with Willis in the house, that they will go into TC as the #1 back. They'd almost have to move or release Willis fairly soon to sell that. Bottom line... Bills grab a RB in FA, Bills draft a RB to supplement this. Who knows? Anything can happen... and probably will. Maybe a draft day package to get an extra pick or two.

I'd avoid him like the plague. You know, bad things happen in "threes". Highly touted USC WRs have not endeared themselves in the pros as of late. Keary Colbert has been a bust, Mike Williams has been a bust. Could Jarret be a bust too? I don't know, but I get the sense that either they are products of the offense they play within or the QBs that are throwing to them. Jarrett had a great game against Michigan... but then again, Troy Smith lit up Michigan. Troy Smith is not an NFL QB. Is Jarret that good or is the Michigan pass defense that bad... I think it is the latter, but, time will tell. Bills could do better with their 1st Rd. pick than Jarrett IMO.

First... this regime is full of surprises. Ex. Who would have thought that, with Vincent and Milloy entrenched at safety, the Bills would have 2 new starters there with their first and fourth round picks in this year's draft? This year, I just have one of those feelings that this year's target is LB. I know... all signs point to immediate need at DT and CB... but last year, everyone was saying that about the QB & OL and the Bills went soft in FA there and addressed it in the last two rounds of the draft. So, here me out. When Jauron was in Chicago he had a a big MLB... I think he's looking to get bigger at MLB... don't know where he's going to find that in FA... perhaps the draft. Jauron also liked having a pass rushing LB off the edge, ala Rosey Colvin and Warick Holdman. Holdman is a FA. Also, Shawn Barber (a LB of the same ilk) is a FA. Would these two draw some interest from Jauron? Lastly... more on the same train of thought as my very first point... Is TKO this year's Milloy (surprise cut)? With Ellison and Crowell already pencilled in somewhere and $39M in cap space, the Bills could absorb a cap hit this time around. If they re-up JP & Evens, they'll need cap space after June 1, plus they're going to need to spend some @RB as well. Just thinking out loud. I don't know if any of us are going to be prepared for what suprise moves are ahead.

Who are they, and how do the Bills get their hands on one of them?

Wow! What a statement to make in your last regular season game... and perhaps his last game ever. What a performance, what a career. I salute you, Tiki. Congrats. Remind me again who Tiki's offensive line is...are any of these guys even average?

There is no question that the Spikes tha we all "knew" and loved, could play MLB and play it well. Therein lies the question. Can he revert to his old self or has the achilles injury taken just enough away from him to render him ineffective?

Bingo! We have a winner. Actually, you are one of the few that understand this. It is a whole new signal standard. Not many realize that just for a broadcast camera, we're talking minimum $100K per copy. And, that's not talking switchers/re-equipinng trucks, monitors, etc. Not even considering the banwidth all this takes. Then, after that, you have to re-train everyone... and the oldtimers are probably resistant to the change with retirement on their horizon. Just for a simple PBS station, with no frills, it would cost them at least $3M for the upgrade. Not only that, the FCC Mandate is for "digital broadcasting", not High definition. And besides... there are at least 18 different standards for high definition. Pick one, and you're sure to piss off 60 million people.

From CBS SPORTSLINE.... Pay particular attention to #22.... 19 yr. old senior? Playing Div. I football at age 15?? My God, the kid's still growing.

Absolutely brilliant.... Obviously you own a #21 jersey. Now you want to cottle the dude. You either don't know or completely forgot about to the ghosts of Terry Miller, Greg Bell, and Ronnie Harmon. If Willis McGahee was playing running back for the Patriots or Dolphins, you'd be lamenting how much he sucked and how bad those teams screwed themselves.

Well, well, well Mr. Genious. Only a fool argues fact. You wear it well. The NFL avg. for a running back is 4.0 YPC. Don't believe me, look it up. Now, check Willis' numbers, genious. It comes out < than avg., which means, he's in that "marginal/avg. category". Right, and I'm misrepresenting the facts. He is what he is and the facts are the facts... and the numbers show he stinks by NFL starter standards. He's an overrated, underachieving, waste of salary cap$$$ (unless he wants to play backup). You believed all the hype and drank the koolaid because you don't have a mind of your own... you buy into the press and the media hype. Well, I've got news for you, there isn't a defensive coordinator on the planet that loses sleep having to prepare for a game against Willis. Now, LT, LJ, Frank Gore, Tiki Barber... now those are running backs, and DC nightmares. You need to get out more often to see what a real running back looks like. Willis is just a wanabee and pretender. I'd even pay Ladell Betts double what Willis makes. I will bet you right here and right now, the Bills will not extend Willis contract.... that's how much they think of him. And, I'll also go on record as saying the Bills will acquire a running back in the offseason with their sights set on him starting immediately.

Well, he doesn't play every game like he des against the Jets. And,even so, his performances agaisnt the Jets do not remind me in any way of LT,LJ, or Frank Gore. The Bills DO NOT need a young RB to "push" him. The jury is out on WM... they need a young RB to "REPLACE" him.

"Before you judge Willis, Id like to see him run behind a good line.... I think Willis is a very good RB. Our O line is crap.... " Let's stop making excuses for Willis. Who's blocking for Frank Gore? Except for a very old Larry Allen and an oft injured Jonas Jennings, no one. Who's blocking for LT? A bunch of no name journeymen and a rookie. Who's blocking for LJ... except for Will Shields...nobody. A good back is a good back, regardless of what line he plays behind. Let's just face it, be honest, and get over it. Willis is marginal as a starter in this league... and that's it.

why would the Bills have to make a choice? salary cap wise, they could keep both. but, at the expense of which other positions. After QB, CB is the highest paid position. LB is somewhere below the middle of the pack. I don't see RW laying out the kind of cash it will take to re-sign Clements. We're talking a 5 or 6 year deal in the neighborhood of $40-45M at least, with $13M up front. On the other hand, Fletcher has been consistently the leading tackler and big playmaker for the team. His signing will probably only cost around $3-3.5M and a significantly less signing bonus. I think Ralph is more inclined to sign Fletcher than Clements. If the Bills let Clements go, they have players that could potentially step in... Kiwaukee Thomas, Jabari Greer, and Youboty... who they drafted to eventually be a stater. There is no one other than DiGiorgio that has any experience at MLB to step in for Fletcher. Crowell and Spikes could be potential starters there, but, both of these guys have question marks at their own positions because of injuries. So, one way or another the Bills will have to bring in someone to play MLB... will it be Fletcher, or someone else, and will the money spent be as good or better a value than now? I say Ralph re-ups Fletcher and passes on Clements. JP and McGahee will be in the last year of their contracts next season as well and Ralph has to look at that. On that front, I don't know about JP, but Ralph won't re-up Mcgahee.

Did you know? Only 13 of 32 starting NFL Centers are at least 300 lbs. or more!! So, 19 of 32 NFL teams have what some of us might conclude are undersized at center. And... those starting centers that are considered the creme de la creme by most ... Kreutz, Mawae, Hartings, and Koppen are all under 300 lbs. The moral of of this factoid is that weight may not be the biggest factor for a starting center. Strength, athleticism, technique, and smarts must rate very high. In the case of Mel Fowler... perhaps his weight, athleticism, and smarts are OK. I this is true, then... this offseason he needs to work on his strength and technique?

Give me a helping too. I had em @ 6-10 and 7-9 if the sun shined.

And, she knows how to follow the money.

Would I fire him if I were the owner? Well, nothing is as simple as just one comment or just one incident. You have to look at it in it's totallity... the overall context. 1st. Mora has an agent. If he wanted a college job, then he would have one, end of story. His pedigree is such that there are many ADs out there at major universities would have him high on their list. 2nd. We know he's not like his father. He doesn't wear his emotions on his sleeve, and he won't pull 18 hour days. There was an article when he was a DC for the 49ers which chronicled his personna. Basically, when he's had enough football, he'll go do something he enjoys, whether it be fishing or hiking, or watching NASCAR. 3rd. He took the job for a reason, whether it was because Vick was aboard or he was promised a certain amount of authority, committment to bringing in free agents, whatever. So, for him to make a comment like that, either the Falcons aren't holding up their end of the deal, he's grown frustrated with Vick and know he's gone as far as he can and Vick is untouchable, both, and possibly he overextended himself and wasn't quite ready for the job. If I were the owner...I'd definitely sit down and have a long discussion, both separately with he and the GM and then together. Based on those conversations I'd try to reach the best decision for the organization. I don't know what he's being paid, but as an owner I wouldn't want to be left on the hook for paying. His comment about a college job is definitely disturbing at any time, but especially at this point in the season. My perception of Mora is that he can only take a team to the playoffs and lose. I don't think he loves nthe game like his Dad and he'd like an easier gig. He's probably be a good recruiter at the college level and could consistently have a top 10 or 15 ranked team... but not at a pressure cooker such as Alabama, Miami, or Florida State... he just wouldn't eat, drink and sleep footaball... and that's what it requires at those schools.

Yeah, "I'm freakin nuts", but, just sit back and watch what unfolds in the offseason. Bills are just spinning their wheels with Willis. Jauron knows it, Marv knows it, and more importantly, Ralph knows it. Those three also know that once you get a real back in there, its what makes the offense go and the WRs suddenly have more space to do their thing... see KC with LJ, see SD, with LT. Remind me again who the starting WRs are for KC and SD... Chumps. Don't forget to stop by after the draft and free agency and give the doc props for calling it.

What is wrong with our current pair of tackles? Has Peters not been doing a very good job? And, Pennington... 6'7" 320? Are you ready to give up on him? What's he done that's so bad? A rookie 6th rounder? .... do you expect that he should make the pro bowl in his rookie season after starting only half the season? Is that reasonable? You don't think he has a big upside. What upside do Davis and Starks have? The Bills could use a guard... and Merz could eventually supplant Fowler at Center. The only thing Fowler lacks is about 15 or 20 lbs. I'd settle fro 10 lbs. if it doesn't affect his speed, quickness and athletcism. Butler... at 6'8" 320 is said to have a nasty streak, good athletcism, and a basketball background. And, coming out of U VA. with Al Groh as his coach... he has been groomed for the pro game. So, he's got a bonafide shot. The Bills 3 biggest needs are a big run stuffing DT, a real RB, and a WR to compliment Evans. After that G, CB, DE, TE, LB. A QB that could really challenge JP would also be a good thing. Holcomb is merely a dinker/dunker weenie armed POS. And, Nall? who the hell knows what he can do. When you rank 31st on defense, I think it is blatantly clear what you musy shore up. But, at the same time, the offense is extremely boring. So much so that they can't even sell out their last 4 home games. To avoid this again next year, Ralph will pickup a marquis offensive player or two, in the form of a RB first and then a WR. Jauron is all about having his team in position to control it's own destiny in the last 5 minutes of a ball game. Therefore, the defense must make a quantum leap because Jauron will not risk removing the handcuffs from the offense unless the defense can prove it can shutdown the opposition. Lastly... the biggest single move I think this team can make that would make a huge impact immediately is to get a running back that hits the hole quickly, wants, the ball, and can catch. Damn, what a difference maker like Mike Hart would be... please come out this year Mike.

Suicide. There were no drugs or alcohol in his system. He was bi-polar and off his meds. The alleged beer bottles that he threw out his windows at the troopers trying to stop him near Baldwinsville turned out to be soda bottles. This clip was shown on a follow story on ESPN a few months after the incident.

They are both subpar... and both carry a sub 4.0 ypc for their careers. Marv will get us a RB in the offseason.

Please allow me to ask the question a little different. Would you like to bet that Marv has a RB very high on his list in the offseason? I recall when the Bills drafted a RB in 1986 in the 1st rd. (16th). He was a well documented "dancer" that preferred to hesitate and take it to the outside. That didn't sit will with Marv. So, in 1988 he drafts this RB in the 2nd rd. The 2nd rd. RB was named starter by opening day and went on to be the greatest back in Bills history. I didn't use names. You know who they are. The reason I didn't use names is for this... Just for a moment, remove yourself as a Bills fan. You are now (just for this excercise) an NFL fan, but not just any NFL fan, a very knowledgeable and objective NFL fan... one that clearly discerns reality from all of the press clippings and hype. Now you are tasked with evaluating running backs around the league. You take a look around and, purely on your objectivity and knowledge of the game, you select what you think are the 10 best running backs in the league. This could be based on a number of factors, but, the bottom line is production. If you do this fairly and honestly, there are no Bills backs in that mix. For any Buffalo team to be successful, they must be able to run the football... and consistently. More so than a lot of other teams, simply because of it's geographical location and the elements... and you know that because you're well aware of the wind, rain, & snow in Buffalo. It just ain't the most suitable environment to pass in, so it is imperitive that you have a top tier running game. The current starter for the Bills has consistently regressed since his first season of playing (2nd season in NFL). The NFL average for a running back is 4.0 Y/C. The current Bills starter is below that. If any position on your team is performing below an NFL average... especially at the RB position, wouldn't you look to upgrade that position significantly? I am trying to figure out what the Bills current RB's game is. At first I thought it was speed, but if that's his game, where is it? Then, I thought it was power, well, I've only seen that once and a while when he stiff arms a defensive back... if he gets into the secondary. Then I thought, he must be a presence in the passing game. Well, I was wrong there too. And moves... I haven't seen him demonstrate much, if any, elusiveness. Where is the upside? As Bills fans, we've been through this before with Terry Miller, Greg Bell, Ronnie Harmon, and Antowain Smith. Mr. Wilson is said to be disappointed with the current Bills RB. So, no doubt he's put a bug in Marv's and Jauron's ear... not that they needed it, they already know. That's why Marv will either sign a FA RB, draft a RB, or both. I don't see a RB in this draft that is a sure fire 1st rounder... and certainly not in the top ten where the Bills will likely pick. But there are RBs worthy of a 2nd or 3rd round pick... and that's where I believe they will pluck a RB. In the perfect world I think their best bang for the buck is Mike Hart out of Michigan (he's a definite top 10)... but he's a junior and I doubt he'll come out this draft. He's the same size as Thermal and plays all phases of the position at a high level, as Thermal did... plus he displays spunk, leadership, and fire... none of which I see from the current starting RB. Now, I'm not saying 'get rid of the current Bills starting RB', or even mentioning him by name, so as not to offend those that think differently either way. The guy does have another season left on his contract. But beyond that if your Mr. Wilson looking at this guy's productivity and having a real 'dick' for an agent, at what price, if at all, are you willing to offer him before, during, or after 2007?