Ask Tim Graham: Part III

[billsrcursed]

Sure, no prob. Originally posted it in the "offseason conditioning" thread. The first line is a tweet by Whitner; the second is his retweet (RT) of, and reply to, a question from Shaunta53. This is why I included "Club Jauron" in my question to Tim:

 

LOL!!!

 

Thanks!

[Just Jack]

Tim, how is the pre-season schedule done? We know Detroit and Buffalo will play each other every season, but what about the other games? Do the owners/team representative just say to each other "hey, wanna play?" or is there a committee that decides who plays who and where?

[TimGraham]

Tim, how is the pre-season schedule done? We know Detroit and Buffalo will play each other every season, but what about the other games? Do the owners/team representative just say to each other "hey, wanna play?" or is there a committee that decides who plays who and where?

 

The league and teams work together with many recurring opponents (the Jets and Giants play every year, for instance) with geography playing a significant role. Most games are regional.

[rockpile]

Just as long as he doesn't turn into Gregggg Williams, with an airhorn and "opportunity laps" ...

 

I was thinking the same thing! Discipline is good, but boot camp in pro football is arguably bad.

[Virgil]

Tim,

 

What's the deal with Jered Gaither from Baltimore? He's a starter that is rumored to be had for a 2nd. This seems like the perfect scenario for the Bills.

 

Is there something that i'm missing?

[TimGraham]

Tim,

 

What's the deal with Jered Gaither from Baltimore? He's a starter that is rumored to be had for a 2nd. This seems like the perfect scenario for the Bills.

 

Is there something that i'm missing?

 

There's all sorts of information we could be missing.

 

First off, being a starter doesn't mean he's worth the 41st overall draft pick. And if he's such an obvious pickup for the Bills, then he would be an obvious pickup for all of the other teams who could use a left tackle. It's not as simple as the Bills picking up the phone and putting dibs on him. There would be competition and plenty of haggling all the way around.

 

That said, there's talk in Baltimore that he's not really on the trade block. A report from the Baltimore Sun says the trade talk was a ploy to get Gaither to show up for the offseason program.

 

http://www.baltimoresun.com/sports/ravens/...ens/Football%29

[BUFFALOTONE]

There's all sorts of information we could be missing.

 

First off, being a starter doesn't mean he's worth the 41st overall draft pick. And if he's such an obvious pickup for the Bills, then he would be an obvious pickup for all of the other teams who could use a left tackle. It's not as simple as the Bills picking up the phone and putting dibs on him. There would be competition and plenty of haggling all the way around.

 

That said, there's talk in Baltimore that he's not really on the trade block. A report from the Baltimore Sun says the trade talk was a ploy to get Gaither to show up for the offseason program.

 

http://www.baltimoresun.com/sports/ravens/...ens/Football%29

 

Thanks Tim, that's some good info.

 

On another note who is in charge of hiring these draft gurus? ESPN is way beyond successful and they still put 2 guys that have absolutely no experience on player personnel or development on TV. They watch college football 365 days a year and this is the best product they come up with???

 

I guess what I am saying is where do I fill out the application for these 2 positions. Hell at least I played a little college ball. Come to think of it maybe Kiper did too, but I can take McShays job!

[RayFinkle]

Tim,

 

Big fan, love the blog.

 

Are you upset that you could be bumped out of the "Top 3 WNY Tims" if the Bills draft Tim Tebow? The listed would then look like:

 

1. Tim Tebow

2. Tim Horton

3. Tim Tindale

4. Tim Graham

 

 

EDIT: Sorry Tim, Lori offically bumped you to 5.

 

1. Tim Tebow

2. Tim Horton

3. Tim Connolly

4. Tim Tindale

5. Tim Graham

[Lori]

Them's fightin' words, Ray ... but at least you didn't include Connolly.

[TimGraham]

Them's fightin' words, Ray ... but at least you didn't include Connolly.

 

Tebow ahead of Horton?

 

Wwwwwwooooooooooooowwwwwwwwwwwww ...

 

What about Tim Kennedy?

[UConn James]

What about Tim Russert?

[Just Jack]

What about Tim Russert?

He should be #1 on the list.

[ndirish1978]

Timmmah! We're dying here. You don't need to give us any concrete facts, at least post some conjecture and speculation about what you think the Bills COULD do. I'd rather hear it from you than from someone who knows nothing about the Bills, but read a scouting report and has a TV show. We're dying here!

[mjohns85]

tim,

 

what are the odds of lynch getting traded. are any teams interested and what kind of compensation would we receive? thanks

[Leonidas]

Tim,

 

Maybe you can explain to me this obsession with unloading a pro-bowl RB in his prime for little more than third day draft fodder. He's under contract until 2013, he's certainly capable of shouldering the load (although would more likely split carries with Jackson), our cup isn't exactly runneth over with talent and have other holes to fill, and we play in a league where you need two solid RB's to compete, not to mention the fact that our other RB is nearly 30. He hasn't exactly been a model citizen, but I'm not sure how that really matters come game day. He hasn't been a cancer in the locker room, he hasn't **** on Buffalo for being a small town (but rather embraced it), and that whole $20 thing seems suspect (why would a millionaire on thin ice as it is steal $20?) to me (I'm not saying it didn't happen, it just seems weird, that's all). I'm not going to say he's the greatest guy ever, but he's no Rae Carruth, and I'm not sure the Bills are in a position to be jettisoning it's stars just yet. Do we really want guys like Ken Simonton and Shaud Williams taking a large number of snaps next year or waste a high draft pick on a RB when we have so many holes to fill just because the team is too proud to swallow some pride with Lynch?

 

Thoughts?

[BillsRUs]

Tim,

 

Maybe you can explain to me this obsession with unloading a pro-bowl RB in his prime for little more than third day draft fodder. He's under contract until 2013, he's certainly capable of shouldering the load (although would more likely split carries with Jackson), our cup isn't exactly runneth over with talent and have other holes to fill, and we play in a league where you need two solid RB's to compete, not to mention the fact that our other RB is nearly 30. He hasn't exactly been a model citizen, but I'm not sure how that really matters come game day. He hasn't been a cancer in the locker room, he hasn't **** on Buffalo for being a small town (but rather embraced it), and that whole $20 thing seems suspect (why would a millionaire on thin ice as it is steal $20?) to me (I'm not saying it didn't happen, it just seems weird, that's all). I'm not going to say he's the greatest guy ever, but he's no Rae Carruth, and I'm not sure the Bills are in a position to be jettisoning it's stars just yet. Do we really want guys like Ken Simonton and Shaud Williams taking a large number of snaps next year or waste a high draft pick on a RB when we have so many holes to fill just because the team is too proud to swallow some pride with Lynch?

 

Thoughts?

 

Lol. Just like Gaither, theyre trying to scare ML into showing up for training. j/k

[BillsRUs]

Timmmah! We're dying here. You don't need to give us any concrete facts, at least post some conjecture and speculation about what you think the Bills COULD do. I'd rather hear it from you than from someone who knows nothing about the Bills, but read a scouting report and has a TV show. We're dying here!

 

I blame my spilling coffee on the keyboard on you!

Speaking of which, haven't seen ol' Timmah on south park in a while.

[Estro]

Tim,

 

I'm currently taking a football scouting course through SMWW.com. I have to speak to someone involved w/ scouting or in a football front office and would love to track someone down from the Buffalo Bills. Any words of advice on the best way I could go about contacting someone who maybe willing to help? I called the Bills Customer Sevice already and I'm still awaiting a reply, but I'm not sure that is the best route to get a hold of somebody.

 

Thanks for any advice you can give me.

[TimGraham]

Tim,

 

I'm currently taking a football scouting course through SMWW.com. I have to speak to someone involved w/ scouting or in a football front office and would love to track someone down from the Buffalo Bills. Any words of advice on the best way I could go about contacting someone who maybe willing to help? I called the Bills Customer Sevice already and I'm still awaiting a reply, but I'm not sure that is the best route to get a hold of somebody.

 

Thanks for any advice you can give me.

 

I sent you a personal message. Take a look and get back to me.

[TimGraham]

Tim,

 

Maybe you can explain to me this obsession with unloading a pro-bowl RB in his prime for little more than third day draft fodder. He's under contract until 2013, he's certainly capable of shouldering the load (although would more likely split carries with Jackson), our cup isn't exactly runneth over with talent and have other holes to fill, and we play in a league where you need two solid RB's to compete, not to mention the fact that our other RB is nearly 30. He hasn't exactly been a model citizen, but I'm not sure how that really matters come game day. He hasn't been a cancer in the locker room, he hasn't **** on Buffalo for being a small town (but rather embraced it), and that whole $20 thing seems suspect (why would a millionaire on thin ice as it is steal $20?) to me (I'm not saying it didn't happen, it just seems weird, that's all). I'm not going to say he's the greatest guy ever, but he's no Rae Carruth, and I'm not sure the Bills are in a position to be jettisoning it's stars just yet. Do we really want guys like Ken Simonton and Shaud Williams taking a large number of snaps next year or waste a high draft pick on a RB when we have so many holes to fill just because the team is too proud to swallow some pride with Lynch?

 

Thoughts?

 

I wouldn't say it's an obsession. It's logical to speculate that a player with baggage, who has been suspended already and is one more mistake away from a long suspension, who has not shown up for offseason workouts a year after losing his job, who looked nothing like a Pro Bowl running back last year, who will be playing for a coach trying to establish a new culture and might be looking to make a statement in the locker room, is a prime candidate to be traded.

 

And you can't say Lynch isn't a cancer in the locker room. You don't know that, and neither do I. The only way you know for sure is when somebody confirms it. There are tons of instances where teammates or a coach didn't confirm a problem until the player was gone because they were trying to make the best of a situation. I covered one of those guys in Miroslav Satan. When a player is wearing your jersey, you remain diplomatic.