Koufax

It looks good, but I have been 5-3 before. Ask me 16 games in?

Because Rex thinks highly enough of him to put him in a position where if he excels for an hour he is the starting QB like he had been each of the last two seasons? I'm a dubious EJ supporter ready to jump on the TT bandwagon, but this isn't a ploy or giving a fair chance or anything like that. Rex feels that EJ has a chance to be the starter and his performance Saturday will dictate it, or there is no way he would give him these reps. If you are throwing a fairness bone, it is the game 1 or game 2, or hypothetically even the game 4 and not officially announcing until after that. You don't give the game 3 starting reps to someone unless you think they have an excellent chance of stepping up.

3rd preseason game is usually the one that the starter plays the most. Not sure what to make of that in the wide open competition, but if Ryan/Roman were already set on TT I don't think they would do something like this for "appearances". So my read on this is that EJ has as much a chance as anybody, and if he excels he will be the starter, and if he stumbles TT will be the starter. It sure seems like he is being given a chance to win it right here based on one strong showing, and if so that means that currently the race is too close to call. I just don't see how if they think TT is the guy, then they wouldn't have him start this one and get his reps. If he had done enough to win it already, why on earth wouldn't he start this game, like every NFL team starts and plays their #1 QB in preseason #3? He might be in the lead still, but if so, I think Rex thinks it is close enough that a great EJ performance would be enough to vault EJ. Missing some of the guys, but I think having Fred instead of Shady will likely help more than hurt, as he is the better pass blocker and with the 1s out there on the OL should give EJ the opportunity to show he has it or show us he doesn't.

Cassel being our starter is only a bad thing. Fortunately it is an Alex Smith / Brad Johnson / Trent Dilfer thing, and not impending doom. But anybody who isn't banking on EJ getting a shot and being the guy as being our best option in 2015 is lowering the ceiling. Not quite to the GEICO tiny house ad level, but too low for my taste. I have trouble with EJ getting benched last year, and am hopeful he will be ready to step up and be at least "pretty good" to Cassel's "not all bad".

Except for the Michigan Wolverines?

Spiller was a class act all the way. Played hard every down he was on the field, and when he was able to get the ball showed what he is capable of. Given that the Saints are not on our schedule, I am definitely rooting for him to have a monster season and finish runner up to McCoy for the rushing title in a Saints offense that will definitely maximize him and use him out of the backfield to offset the lack of Jimmy Graham.

So Taylor never made it to 60% completion rate in any season in college while EJ never went below 65%. I'm rooting for all three to perform well, but the only good news to come out of camp is EJ winning the job. Ryan has set it up where perception will be right that he earned it, and if he is the #2 he can save face and not be the starter who lost it. Obviously I don't think the decision has been made and it will be based on performance in camp, but the chances of being lead deep in the playoffs by: 1) Fitzpatrick Orton Cassel, a career meh who is older and has the profile of a backup. 2) The inaccurate in college too small, 6th rounder on his second team who has 29 pass attempts in the last four years. 3) The all the tools level headed 1st rounder who might not have gotten a fair chance under poor coaching, but needs to overcome some inconsistent decision making and accuracy questions from shown in his first 15 NFL games. I think if you are a Bills fan you really have to hope that #3 is what happens, and while you root for the other two guys to perform, their ceilings are so low that winning with them would take a really best case scenario. I'm not saying EJ has anything locked up, but he is definitely the horse we should all be backing in June, and very disappointed if he can't improve enough to beat those two guys out in August. Putting aside Cassel's one year starting in NE, his overall career completion %, YPA, and INT% are all worse than EJ's, without the physical upside or hope that he is young enough to get better. The sooner he seizes the reins, Cassel grabs the clipboard, and the other two stop getting reps, the better chance this team has to be something special, and if he cannot, god help us all since the rest of the team will be solid enough to prevent us from getting a top QB in the 2016 draft either.

Same age, same completion %, same YPA, I'll take the new guy who is bigger and has a lower career interception rate to be our backup and mentor to EJ, even though I love rooting for Fitz. If you have to pick one to play with our defense and our running game, turnovers should be one of the key things to focus on, but I hope Cassel doesn't see the field much and EJ takes the step forward we all hope and many of us expect.

Cassel > Tuel Cassel > McNown Cassel ~= Orton We needed a veteran and he is so similar to Orton across just about all measures. I'm fine with this, and I still want EJ. Makes Sanchez less likely, and I don't know if that is a good thing or a bad thing yet but I think he compares favorably and is probably better. We weren't going to get someone who would change the franchise this offseason. Getting a proven smart veteran for minimal cost was the goal, and having Cassel/Orton/Sanchez as a baseline performance with our run game and defense, and then hoping EJ can find a way past that baseline and make that guy the #2 is our 2015 plan.

I was originally confused by the deal, but I don't get the huge reaction. 1) Kiko is a good player coming off a major knee injury 2) After the injury, Kiko is just under contract for two more years, so all the talk about McCoy's age are irrelevant when you are really focusing on what you get the next couple years. 3) Rex is the D guy, and if he is willing to part with him for a RB, I think he has a plan for the Xs and Os. 4) RB is a position that has shown less value difference between average and very good and has had its value eroded. But this guy can play. 5) McCoy will take some time with the adjustment and disappointment, but he is going to a ground and pound team where he will be the centerpiece. 6) McCoy can talk about Pennsylvania, but please remind him that it is 1:07 from the Ralph to the PA border, and half that if he lets Dareus drive. I'm reluctantly optimistic about this. I had been really excited about adding Kiko to our defense and trying to keep Spiller, but I think this can work out fine.

From here in San Diego, it seems more like the team is talking tough trying to get a better stadium deal. Clearly there needs to be a new stadium deal at some point, the question is where and with how much public financing. I think the NFL knows that between San Diego, St. Louis, and Oakland, there is clearly a market leader of the bunch, and would like to see this unsettled threat just long enough to get a public stadium in San Diego. Also the Spanos family that owns the team is very tied to San Diego, and I think would really hate to move (but clearly would if there were no stadium options). My prediction remains that Oakland and St. Louis go back to LA and San Diego eventually works out a stadium deal to stay.

Good point, and something I have said a number of times this is the comparison on the table. The fact that the pick turns out to be #19 and not #7 or something definitely helps this trade. Pretending we would have picked OBD is revisionist history (but a good example about why taking the best player at your draft slot is usually the best value if you can scout well). Comparing Ebron + #19 is fair. A lot of other comparisons are as revisionist as saying we should have taken Tom Brady at #141 instead of Avion Black. Worth noting in our creative revisionist history, the last time we traded a future #1 pick it was to move up and grab Losman, and the pick we gave up at #20 could have been used on Aaron Rodgers who went four picks later.

I'm disappointed that Schwartz will not be back, and consider that an unfortunate casualty of the otherwise great Ryan hire. I don't doubt that our personnel is very talented and Rex along with the new DC can plan on the best ways to use them. My hopes is that there isn't a drastic transition that makes the unit take a step back, instead of the return of Kiko helping it take a step forward. However, one thing is certain is that there will be less friction within the coaching staff. It is now up to Rex to make sure we have a smooth transition and get the most out of them. Schwartz's departure is a short term negative that we have to work hard to overcome, but is probably a medium and long term plus as it allows a cohesive vision and allows Rex to contribute the most he can to the team.

I caught that specific call and was highly amused. I know a lot of terms are used just for clarity of communication (I don't think there is any Nebraska roots to Peyton's "Omaha"), but I can't help but wonder if one this clear and distinct might have deeper roots. Did you happen to notice what play they ran after? I'm remembering a goal line run to the left, but might not have that right.

Why do you hope he keeps his hands off the D? I want Schwartz to stay and remain the DC. I don't want the team to completely change the scheme. But we are adding Kiko back in to an elite talent group that was good before Schwartz worked with them, and Rex is a very smart defensive coach. I think unless there is too strong a conflict of personalities, having Schwartz do what he does and be the continuity, and have Ryan work with him and add to the mix and drive for excellence using his extensive experience and talents would be the awesome first choice. But this defense got better when going from Pettine to Schwartz, and I don't think will collapse if we end up losing Schwartz, but more importantly can get better if Ryan can add to what Schwartz is already doing.

I still think we trade/sign for a veteran and have a competition that EJ gets every opportunity to win. And if we don't then we draft in 2016. It is too early to give up on EJ and use another top pick, and the franchise impact of using three first round picks (EJ, and two for Watkins) to net one WR and two nothings, instead of three very good players, would have an even bigger drag on our franchise talent level if we give up our highest pick this year for someone not necessarily better than EJ. I don't think there is much of a chance we draft a QB this year who is likely to beat EJ and Cutler/Sanchez/Bradford/Dalton/Whoever in a competition, and I don't want to use a high pick in a draft we are missing our first rounder on a roll of the dice/backup. If we think we have our Russell Wilson fall in to our lap then definitely, but I don't see that player right now, and need to have a HC/OC in place before we can project who might realistically fit.

I want Schwartz to be in Buffalo next season for continuity, but think the best continuity is him as DC. If that isn't an option, then I would consider him as HC, but that would be my second choice. I don't think Reich is an OC candidate, since he already has that job with another team (and better situation with a franchise QB). Lateral moves without being fired are hard in the NFL, but maybe he could get a title promotion like Asst Head Coach in that case.

Yeah, I'm in conceptual agreement. The difference might be how the 2015 expectations differ. With the Bills being 9-7, it would be tough to expect them to take big leaps forward without the QB play improving, and it would be difficult to consider anything short of 10-6 a success. While with the Jets having a miserable season, he might be able to do a 6-10, 9-7 again and not have an instant playoff push expected. Either way, I wouldn't mind him in the division, as I don't think he is as good a coach as Rex, and I would love if he brings Hackett along. How would that work since Hackett is under contract but we won't really want him? Can we get compensation? Do they have to give him a "title promotion" to assistant HC or something? Or maybe Marrone knows his friend isn't so great at this and doesn't stick himself out much for it and we ahve to just fire him after the Jets hire someone else to OC?

Let's see. Doug preferred EJ to Geno, and doesn't like dealing with the media. We will see how this works out...

Marrone would have started EJ against New England if he thought he was a better chance to win than Orton. That can be very different after getting a whole off season and preseason back as the #1 if he has shown signs of deserving it. I personally wouldn't be surprised by Cutler, but with the GM/Coach turnover in Chicago that's hard to tell. Could be a Bledsoe #2 moment.

I am hopeful that EJ will compete with whatever free agent/trade QB we bring in, and I'm confident that he could do the job if he emerges from that competition as the leader. The part of your post that I do like is that the Bills get to sort of do this: "With the 19th pick of the 2015 NFL Draft, the Buffalo Bills select Kiko Alonzo, Linebacker, Oregon"

I know you are just trying to be funny, but using "being gay" as a comic insult to a player and a coach you don't like is pretty small minded and I don't think belongs on TBD or just about anywhere else.

I think you can count on it. I think EJ had accuracy and decision making issues and wasn't ready to be an NFL QB, which is not the case for all young QBs, but for some it can take time. It remains to be seen how good a QB he can be. Kyle however competent he might have been able to be in 2015, has a defined ceiling and while he might have benefited some from being in the second year as starter in a system, we wouldn't expect 33 to be that much better than 32, and there was a lot of acceptable disappointment this year as the defense carried us. So I think by the end of the season I would expect that EJ had already narrowed the performance gap through his hard work, based on what I would naturally expect and by comments by Orton himself, Marrone, and others. I fully expect EJ to continue to work hard and improve between now and September, and to be roughly similar to Orton in performance on the conservative side, with the hope that it all clicks and he can take bigger strides forward. Clearly another QB has to be brought in to compete and be backup if EJ improves, and that won't be with one of our limited draft picks. I'm not sure yet who will be available, and the likelihood that we find someone clearly better than EJ vs an honest competition, but I don't think that our 2015 QB pair of EJ+??? has a long way to go to be better than our 2014 QB pair of KO+EJ.

Chargers were all over him. They traded up to take Matthews at #12, might have waited a little if both were available, but if Spiller fell out of the top 10 they would have been working hard to get to at least 12 to take him.

I agree with this. Clearly it seems like the incorrect predictive decision, but we don't see the positioning at the time of the decision. I think Orton tends to decide early, and when he doesn't he tends to fold in the pocket feeling the pressure even before it happens. A couple more observations on this include: -The check down receiver in the flat would probably be stopped for no gain by the time the ball got to him, and as he is going backwards, he would be closer to the pick six defender at the time of the decision and going from past the far hash back across his body, that probably wasn't the right decision. -The two open receivers look like they were likely not yet open at the time of the decision, so it is an anticipation thing rather than just a seeing the field thing. -The Raiders are brining five so definitely a pretty hot read. -At the time of the decision, he might have seen the deep safety still on the Raider's logo and much less likely to get to the route he threw then get to the receiver very open in this image but who is running straight towards the logo.