JM57

Brace yourselves, the stupid is coming! UGA lineman has already tweeted (and deleted) "Glad I don't have to block Michael Sam he might get too touchy feely"

I was going to post this last night and forgot. I was pretty sure Asamoah wasn't even starting at the end of the season. wasn't it Geoff Schwartz who took his spot?

If anyone thinks Martin was bullied at this point, they clearly haven't read the texts that were released. There was nothing in there besides a whole lot of ball-busting going both ways. A little over the tops at times, but general ball-busting that happens in most male friendships. Martin took the weakest way out of football. He clearly wasn't interested in being a pro and decided to use a bullying cop out to not be labelled a quitter. But now that the public can see he wasn't really bullied....he is a quitter. 100%.

Thank you thank you thank you! Finally I see someone else agree with what I was thinking re: the guard situation. In 2011/12 Urbik looked decidedly better than he did in 2013. While it may have been partially due to the scheme change, I think the weakness at LG also changed his effectiveness. With Levitre at LG, Eric Wood could probably leave it up to Levitre to handle his man 1-on-1 95% of the time. This allowed Wood to then chip on Urbik's man and head to the second level or double team Urbik's man. With Levitre gone, Urbik became the stronger of the 2 guards. Thus, Wood would have to help Legursky/Brown more frequently, leaving Urbik on his own, where he was much less effective. Long story short: Fix the LG and RT spots, Urbik as the weak link means your OL is pretty darn solid.

The 49ers do

And unless you have the fastest back in the league who can beat anyone in a foot race, the only way you break 20+ yard runs is your OL getting to the second level and blocking LBs. That's what the 2013 Bills failed to do with Levitre (their best pulling lineman) gone and the regression of Pears. They couldn't run the trey play that got them so much success before...in either direction. They couldn't pull left with Glenn and the LG because Legursky or Brown would miss or whiff on their block. They couldn't pull right because Pears seemingly lost 50% of his agility.

SF also doesn't have a game changing RB like Spiller can be. Frank Gore is a very good RB but he's not the type who breaks your back with a long TD run. He's the type that bangs and bangs for 4 quarters and wears your defense down. 3 yards and a cloud of dust type guy.

Are we talking 2012 or 2013

I'm just saying. Lets say over the course of 4 games, Team A runs the ball 125 times for 400 yards. Team B runs the ball 75 times for 375 yards. Their running backs are similar caliber, and they play the same opponents. Which team has the better OL? The one averaging 3 yards per carry or the one averaging 5 yards per carry? In 2013, the Bills were like Team A. They ran the ball more than anyone else, so OF COURSE they were near the top of the league in rushing yards. But they were middle of the pack in yards per carry. They had almost 40 more carries than the next team. Volume does not equal success. Matt Stafford throws 50+ passes it seems like every week, does that make him the best QB?

Cooney is playing out of his mind tonight!

They said that to receive the money, the owner would have to pledge to keep the team in Buffalo for a "set period of time" Whatever that may be

The refs were bad yesterday for sure, but at least they were bad both ways. Also #1 ranking come tomorrow. Feels good to be up top!

Anthony Davis

No. Just saying you don't reach for need. Every position is important. Reaching to fill needs gets you Aaron Maybin and JP Losman.

So close. I thought Rak got ball first though

Tell that to the 49ers

They nearly led the league in rushing because of volume, not because of productivity. Rushing more times than almost all other teams = rushing for more yards than most teams. Pears is aging, declining and overpriced. The end.

AKA he is a perfect fit for the responsibilities of the MLB in Schwartz's schemes from his past. He wants his MLB to be a run stopper who barely EVER drops into coverage. His primary responsibility is to plug the A gaps (Center/Guard).

Smart hire. 13 years each of playing and coaching experience; comes with an already in depth knowledge of the division.I'm as surprised by this hire as I am with the Schwartz hire. But they are both from the "Belichick tree" and Johnson was a Browns player when BB was the HC and Schwartz was breaking into the league

Just caught this. +1 for good laugh

Not Madden stuff. More general scouting terms. + meaning he has positive or above average skills in whatever area, - meaning below average or negative skills. Just abbreviated it because I post from my phone. ....at work

After watching him play last year why would you want him to gain all that weight? That's messing with a good thing. Just find a guy who can play MLB and stuff the run for the appx. 30-40% of snaps they will be in a 4-3 look. Kiko is the Mike in the 50+% of time they are in nickel or dime. Think of it like this: does Kiko's skill set (+speed, +range, +coverage skills, +aggressiveness) better suit him for a role like Derrick Brooks and Lance Briggs played in their respective 4-3 schemes? Or is he more of a London Fletcher type player (downhill, run stuffer, -coverage skills)

Because in Schwartz's D, the MLB needs to be able to take on interior linemen and plug BOTH A gaps. That's not exactly Kiko's strength. Playing in space is. So you get a banger like Brandon Spikes to play the MLB when there are 3 LBs on the field, and he comes off in the nickel look and Kiko plays Mike. Meanwhile Kiko would be an All-Pro as a 4-3 Will

Exactly. I like Kiko alot playing in space. I don't like the idea of him taking on interior linemen. He's not built for that.

Kiko is a tailor made fit for the WLB spot in any variant of a traditional 4-3. Especially the schemes Schwartz has run before. Your Will needs to be able to fly around the field as well as "sift through trash" to get after the ball carrier on outside runs. In the Schwartz schemes, your MLB is more of a 2 gap thumper who can cover the A gaps left open by the DTs shooting B gaps. Stephen Tulloch was his long-time MLB in both Detroit and Tennessee. Meanwhile the Sam should be excellent against the run as well as in coverage. Manny Lawson should thrive in Schwartz's Sam spot.