A record (so far) 14 franchise tags have been handed out. Nobody wants to let their good guys walk. I also just read that the Titans will franchise Haynesworth if a deal isn't worked out by the tag deadline (tonight). The free agent pickings are shrinking. Here are the players tagged to date:

Karlos Dansby, Arizona

Terrell Suggs, Baltimore

Julius Peppers, Carolina

Dunta Robinson, CB, Houston

Matt Cassell, New England

Brandon Jacobs, NY Giants

Max Starks, Pittsburgh

Darren Sproles, San Diego

Oshiomogho Atowge, St Louis

Leroy Hill, Seattle

Antonio Bryant, Tampa Bay

Bo Scaife, Tennessee

Michael Koenen, P, Atlanta

Shayne Graham, Cinncinati

And it ain't over yet.

In other noteworthy news, the Raiders signed Asomugha to an astronomical contract.  http://sports.espn.go.com/nfl/news/story?id=3919067  Holy Crap. Now anyone doubt what Greer wiill get? At least $6Mil per. The guaranteed money for Asomugha is boggling. I can't wait till the uncapped year. We'll have to tap into Yankee money to stay competitive.

As we get closer to draft day it looks more and more likely that we might be in no man's land at #11. If Everette Brown, Brian Orakpo (cooling on him - why has he not learned even a good spin move?), and BJ Raji are gone before we pick, the trade down plan becomes more viable. Especially if one of the two top QB's and/or one of the top LT's are still on the board. Right now we're good to go at both positions. Now I might be crediting more flexibility to the Bills front office than is realistic, but I hope not. 

If OBD wants Mack or Pettigrew then a trade down to no later than #21 should land either one.

However, as wpod over at the Range posted earlier, we could get very creative if the draft plays out right. Here's his scenario. Trade down with Tampa to #19 if a top QB is still available at #11 (probably Sanchez). We get Tampa's second round pick. They want one (we're assuming that Garcia leaves). Then immediately trade down again with Atlanta to #24 so they can jump Philly and take Pettigrew. They want him. We get Atlanta's third round pick. Now we have the 24th pick, two 2nd round picks and two 3rd round picks! I know, a dream scenario. But I love it. The mind boggles. We get Mack, Coffman, etc, etc. What an adrenalin rush!      

Ron's post got me thinking. It is hard to imagine going after Pepers or (more likely) Suggs given the Bills history of spending in free agency. However, what if getting Suggs were to be part of a larger overall plan? If by some miracle the football gods were to shine down upon the Buffalo Bills and we did land Suggs I could see the following chain of events occurring.

1. We trade back in the first to no farther than the #21 Philly pick. With that we get a late round 2nd or another 3rd. In the first round we then pick Brandon Pettigrew. He is projected as a mid 20's pick now. He needs work on his passing game but he is way ahead of the curve in run blocking. He seemed to handle LB's and DLinemen at the Senior Bowl with ease. He likes to run block and it shows. He is simply a force at run blocking already.

2. Round 2 we pick the best C on the board. Oh please, football gods, make Alex Mack be there after his Senior Bowl appearance. Either way we get one of the top 3 centers in this draft. Mack, Unger and Woods are all good at run blocking now. That gives us two pieces of the puzzle in place.

Now we have two picks before the 4th round. Either another 2nd and a 3rd or two 3rds. With the first of these two we choose the best playmaker available between a DT, LB, or S. With the second pick we do the same thing only we have eliminated one position. My guess would be to get a LB and DT.

3. Oops, I screwed up the numbers. No matter. It is now our 4th round pick and we land Quinn Johnson. A beheamoth FB with hands! He clearly stood out at the Senior Bowl as a blocker and ball carrier. We want him in this draft. He will be our third running back and he is a punishing blocker. As a bonus he is also a good receiver.

4. 5th and 6th round picks go to OG and S. Fill some holes and try to upgrade depth. The 7th round pick who cares. Choose whomever you want.

What this means is that by landing Suggs we can emphatically switch to a running game first - say 55-60 percent of the time. We have now plugged in to our offense a stud TE run blocker, a very good to stud run blocking C, and a punishing run blocking FB. We have filled the remaining pieces on offense to give us what surely would be now an elite running game. ANd on defense we now have the disruptive end we need, an upgrade at LB and hopefully good depth at DT. The offense gets 3 excellent players and the D gets the rest. This is all made possible by landing a stud DE in free agency. This draft becomes very doeable and the whole picture makes sense. And now with an emphasis on the run game, Trent has much less pressure on him to develop. Now I can understand the reasoning for going HARD after Suggs. It has been a long time since the football gods have shined down upon us in such a wonderful way. The Bills are a bit overdue. You are right, Ron, it makes sense to spend big on Suggs. If this were to happen, I would have to completely change my prediction for next season. I like that.

I've been saving this for a slow day and here we are. The year is 1978. My brother ran the hardware store I was eventually to co-own and he was a fanatical Giants fan. So much so that he thought he wanted season tickets. So he wrote the Giants asking to be considered for season tickets. They wrote back saying thanks for your interest in the New York Giants. We have put you on the list. The list is 50,000 people. We will let you know when you're up.

There was no further communication between then. Twenty eight years later a letter with the Giants letterhead arrived at the hardware store. My brother had moved on to own another hardware store. The letter said you are now at the top of the list and asked if he still wanted the tickets!! I could not believe it. TWENTY EIGHT YEARS! My partner was a fanatic Giants fan also. So I called my brother and gave him the news. I said do you play or pass? He decided to pass. The fire just was not there any longer. My partner was ready to send them a note to that effect. I said - not so fast there buckaroo. You can take these if you want. He thought about it and took the tickets. If I had been a Giants  fan I would now have them! They are as hard to get as Packers tickets. Giants season tickets are passed on in people's wills. Generation to generation. So now my former partner (I'm off the clock) has them and is a very popular guy in town! I have yet to get some and go to a game. He goes to two a year. Hey, you never know.

Now for the trivia. The patella tendon tear is the worst knee injury in sports. Probably the worst injury period. Thankfully it is rare. A Chicago Bear DB once suffered two patella tendon tears on one play. He never played another down. It really messes up the lubrication in the knee. Part 1A - Name the Buffalo Bill who suffered one and did not play again. BTW I saw that play. Didn't look that bad at first until they announced the injury. Part 1B - Name the ONLY person in ANY professional sport to tear a patella tendon and come back to play near his pre-injury level. He was a very good player at his position. I'm talking here a complete tear where your kneecap winds up halfway up your thigh. The quad muscles pull it up there.          

Third Q and a good game. Several future pro players in this game. So far, to my eyes James Laurinaitis is an outstanding player. First time I have seen him play and against Texas he is a shining light. He is all over the field. Very heady LB. I'm also  trying to watch Orakpo, and McCoy for Texas, and Wellsand Jenkins for Ohio St. Wells looks good tonight also. Orakpo has a solid first step. Looks strong in the upper body turning the corner.  

I hope I'm not jumping the gun too much here but I need an upper after yesterday. We have the #11 pick next April. IF we stand pat at 11, the question is, who do we go for? I still want Mack but with DJ returning we may very well go D first. It is hard to judge OBD based on our history. (I never would have chosen Whitner at#8) And, not all underclassmen have declared yet. So, leaving out Mack, here we go. Some new years food for thought.

DE

Orakpo (likely top 10)

Michael Johnson (big and scouts like him)

Selvie (projected late 1st)

E Brown (projected late 1st)

DT

SenDerrick Marks 6'1,290

B J Raji 6'1, 325

Peria Jerry 6'2, 305

OLB

Aaron Curry (hey, ya never know) 6'3, 245

Brian Cushing 6'4, 255

Clint Sintim 6'3, 255

ILB

Rey Maualuga 6'3, 260

James Laurinaitis 6'3, 243

There are an awful lot of impact players there. I am crossing my fingers that our esteemed coaches move Poz to the outside. In that case we would not draft an OLB in the first. Maualuga is slipping on some boards because he sometimes takes bad angles and overpursues. But he IS an impact player. If Orakpo is available at 11 we MUST take him (this is without Mack in the picture). If he is not there, a LB or DT might mean more of an impact. At DE, Hardy, Shaughnessey or Middleton (one of those) will be available to us in the second. They are big boys. Who tickles your fancy?

As another aside, there is another good stat site offering a different perspective. It is  sfa.stats.com/fb/notes.asp. Follow your way into players by position and go to tackles. Compare Peters to the good ones. Interesting stuff.

Happy holidays to all Rumblers. Santa was very good to me and now I get to watch a 24" monitor while surfing and blogging!

I will finally get to see Mr. Alex Mack play a game in the ultraprestigious Emerald Bowl on ESPN at 8PM Saturday night. I hope to watch our numero uno (as many of us hope) draft target make Interstate5 look like a one lane country road as Cal beats up on Miami. I fully expect to see the second coming of a huge Caterpillar bulldozer out there. But faster. I just wish I could watch the game with Marshawn and watch him comment amd SMILE! Go Cal Bears!  

That will be my nickname for Mr. Marcus Stroud. I am currently watching the Thurman show. Nice to see those highlights again. In particular though, Mr. Stroud stands out. He seems to have taken to that microsurgery just fine. The one talent that keeps surprising me is his quickness and initial burst. WOW! He sure can be a man among boys at times. So far, one of the finest roster moves we have made in a long time. I do like the chip on his shoulder! 

Based on the news of what went on today (Very little), let's make some more guesses.

1. The DA does not have enough information to say who was driving. He now hopes to rat out the passengers. KEEP YOUR MOUTHS SHUT! Also, there is NO WAY ML can be charged with any form of drunk driving. Give that argument up. 

2. A plea deal is being negotiated. Obviously, this always means to a lesser charge. The lesser charges may include one of the following: 1. Adjournment in contemplation of dismissal. No plea is involved here because of lack of evidence. The ACD is the plea deal. 2. Conditonal Discharge. There is a plea to something which is sealed if you keep your nose clean. 3. Plea to attempted leaving the scene. Sounds nutty to me, but wifey says it happens. The lasik could be brought in here. Again it would be sealed for good behavior. Those are now the most likely judicial possibilities. Nothing heavy here folks, as long as no one rats. Also, at this time there is no way to know if ML's attorney is negotiationg yet. But eventually this will happen.

3. The civil case (like OJ) will be potentially more damaging. Here is where ML's attorney will make his money. This will take time to work out. I have no guess as to how much time is involved.

4. You all are right in that the penalty most impacting the team will come from Goddell. I also say 2 games max. No sub needed.

I wonder if ML's SUV has tinted front windows. Illegal in NYState but not enforced. That may be the reason the driver cannot be IDed. Hard to believe his dreads cannot be picked up. Camera angle is another reason. Caffery has a very cool head. If I get into trouble on the road, I'd hire him in a flash.

Here's a bit more speculation on Marshawn. My wife has worked in the legal system for Seneca County for over 20 years and seen it all. She cares not a whit about football, but we have talked about this case.

1. The DA probably has enough evidence to charge ML with a class A misdemeanor leaving the scene of an accident. That will happen Monday.

2. It is a VERY good thing that nobody has talked yet. ML's attorney is trying his best to see how the investigation plays out with the Buffalo PD and DA. He wants to know what they know. Discovery now. They do not have enough evidence from the camera to charge him. Reportedly, two other Bills were in the SUV. They should say NOTHING and have not.

3. A first time offender guilty of a class A misdemeanor in New York State usually will receive an adjournment in contemplation of dismissal. Usually, no community service is involved. Certainly no jail time. If he keeps his nose clean for 6mo to 1yr, it goes away and is sealed. It sure appears that ML chose a good criminal defense attorney. His attorney is playing this out as best he can to get the best deal for ML. Good boy. Community service will be negotiated. Differs county to county in NY State.

Much as I am anxiously awating a settlement to this, he is now "in the legal system" and his attorney seems to know how to work it. Let's hope this scenario comes to pass and ML does not get suspended (mabye 2 games max).

There is a good article in this mornings NY Times on the Pats illegal taping. Sorry, I don't know how to create the link, but it is easy to find on the Time's homepage. It certainly appears that the NFL wants to sweep this under the rug as quickly aas possible.  Even Dan Rooney feels that way. Unreal. Let the credibility of the league be dammned, we do not want to hurt the bottom $ line. I think Bush ethics have infected the NFL.. Many good comments to the story too.

This whole sordid mess raises some questions for me. How many games did the Pats outright win because of this cheating? It doesn't take much of an edge for a pro team to win and knowing the defensive signals and relaying them to your QB before the play is a hell of an edge. It is nonsensical to me to think otherwise. The battles of  Midway and Leyte Gulf turned the tide for us in WWII pacific because we broke the Japanese code. We knew their signals. I would argue that gave the Pats a huge advantage on the field.

Also, why are NFL owners so myopic that they want to bury this issue? It is now out in the open and if Sen. Spector has his way will be with us for some time. He is like a pit bull on your ankle. Look at how long the BALCO topic has burned brightly. If the integrity of the rules is just something to sweep under the rug, let em just keep on t aping! One #1 draft pick is nothing more than a wrist slap. The fans feel very differently than the NFL brass on this one.

Unfortunately, if they get to Sen. Spector, it will be favoritism as usual in the NFL.. Now we have MLB trying as hard as they can to minimize BALCO and the NFL doing the same in this matter. Soon, perhaps integrity and credibility will be small secondary issues and we can just get back to playing and cheating as best we can. That is, in its own way, a level playing field. I feel sick now.   

What we most need next season is a confident attitude from the coaching staff. It is, IMO, by far the most important factor in the success of our Bills. I hope above all that  Mr. Jauron matures in coaching to have faith in his players and let them play. It begins with never calling Reed ( or is that Mr. Hardy?) to turn in at 6yds on 3rd and 8. I would have confidence in Mr. Hardy to attack the defense where he thought he could win. With Lee in his FA year (W/O franchise tag), I expect a big effort from him. Marshawn looks like a confident runner to me. What a statement he makes. If he continues with a good OL output, he will begin to remind me of Earl Campbell. Trent Edwards will be fine. Mabye more if they play to his strengths. He has ten more pounds of muscle now. He is serious about his task. If they do a three step drop most of the time (which I do not think is all that necessary, mabye situationally) he can throw it 40 yds just fine. I'll bet on Mr. Hardy. Or a more open Lee. The way he catches an over the shoulder is a thing of great beauty. 

IMO, we had a good draft. It looks like more and more that the way to go on the DL is a rotation. The G Men sure showed us that. Our first three are good to go. Our first two could be special. Mr. Ellis. Work hard. Dick and staff, we have the makings of a very competetive football team. Especially on offense, let 'em play.  

From the for what it's worth department, here goes.

1. Trade with KC for #17. If we get a chance to do this, give them enough to get a 2nd, not a third. This is a key. Take Cason at 17. Please not McKelvin. He will be a very good NFL CB, but he reminds me a lot of Nate. Good playmaker who gets eaten by taller receivers and does not intercept. A smurf. No way DRC is here.

2. Two picks in the second. First pick is WR. I am not scared off Hardy. I think the light has gone on He now knows who butters his bread. Best available WR, but not Sweed. Don't know just why, other than production, but he does not leave a mark. If needed is YAC and explosiveness, Thomas wins. If a red zone threat is a higher priority, I'd pick Hardy. My question is, over a season, can Hardy help move the chains? With good coaching and teammates, I think he can. Especially given the next pick.

2B. Best available TE. Tall is a must. If the Bills are to begin to appreciate the TE again, a bona fide red zone threat is a must. That means tall and physical. A key component for me is TWO tall, physical receivers dancing around the red zone. Trent will spot them. Wait a minute. I need to get a fresh drool cloth. I do not think Bennett will go into the third. Keller also.

Next pick. Whatever that is, DE.

 If we get these, I'll get a woodie. Agree with others that C and FB can be had later. Many of the 3rds other rumblers pick I'm afraid will go in the 2nd. A good measuring stick is Jordy. 2nd or 3rd? I hope there is some way we get him. He is a Bill's type of player.  GO BILLS!!

OK here's a new one. Who are your least favorite players in this year's draft you would like to see in a Bill's uniform? Has to be within the realm of possibility. So, cannot pick a 1st round choice with the last name Long. Here's mine.

1. Talib. Great size but that's about all. Massive ego problems, stiff hips. a toker and other character issues, gets burned on the long ball too often. YUK!
2. Jenkins. Too small, character issues, not the greatest hands, not great in run support, etc.
3. Sweed. Very good size, but. Many think he has little upside. Thin, not a speed merchant, a bit one dimensional, does not like chicken wings.
4. Hart. Ran a 40 yd dash with a locomotive from a dead stop. Locomotive won.

Draft Strategy

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