So as always...here is another trade proposal for the field:

I give up: Toews

I get: Parise, Demers, 3rd round pick + cash (which is a throw in here)

Dynamics of the league: 12 forwards, 6 defensemen, 2 goalies. Points only league. Salary cap in effect as well as waivers during the season.

Currently in 5th out of 10 teams - top 6 make the playoffs.

I spent the majority of last year rebuilding and acquiring a lot of prospects. My team has largely overachieved and I don't believe that they can sustain this type of momentum. I feel that I get a lot of upside with this deal and am leaning towards it, especially since I don't really lose anything from my starting line up as Parise will replace Toews.

I'm torn because Toews finally seems to be reaching that PPG pace while Parise is now only heating up and coming off the knee injury.

What are your thoughts? I've listed my FULL roster...which large below for context. Starters are in BOLD. I'll even take general commentary - as I can always use feedback.

Sven Bartschi
David Booth
Alex Burrows
Joe Colbourne
Sean Couturier
Evgeny Dadonov
Brandon Dubinsky
Jordan Eberle
Eric Fehr
Nikita Filatov
Zach Hamill
Cody Hodgson
Tim Kennedy
Tyler Kennedy
Mike Knuble
Andrei Kostitsyn
Sergei Kostitsyn
David Krejci
Evgeny Kuznetsov
Brooks Laich
Andrei Loktionov
Milan Lucic
David Perron
Marc Savard
Jaden Schwartz
Wayne Simmonds
Jeff Skinner
Vikor Stalberg
Jarret Stoll
Ryan Strome
Jonathan Toews
Kris Versteeg

Anton Babchuck
Justin Braun
Oliver Ekman-Larsson
Jonathan Ericsson
Dan Girardi
Brandon Gormley
Carl Gunnarsson
Thomas Hickey
Jordan Leopold
Ben Lovejoy
Alec Martinez
Ryan Murphy
Jake Muzzin
Jeff Schultz
Brent Seabrook
Shea Weber
Ian White
Marek Zidlicky

JS Giguere
Robin Lehner
Anders Lindback
Henrik Lundqvist
Ryan Miller
Semyon Varlamov

Looking for perspective:

I am in a 10 team dynasty league.  Only measurables are goals and assists for forwards and defensemen.  Goalie measureables are wins and shutouts only.

Thomas Vanek has gained a lot of interest from a few GM's and I am trying to feel out what his value may be.

Potential names in play...obviously not all of them are Sam Gagner, Joffery Lupul, Nathan Gerbe, Jordan Schroder, Kyle Beach,  Patrick Horqvist, Alex Tanguay

Now who i'd like to pry is John Tavares...but I'm not sure if he'd pull the trigger or if the value is fair...

Thoughts on the names here?

My dynasty leagues trade deadline is in 3 hours, and I am currently in 9th place.

I was proposed with the following offer:

David Perron + Patrick Hornqvist + Michael Grabner + Mikael Samuelsson for Jeff Carter and most likely Teddy Purcell

So I gain 4 players and lose 2 - just looking at people's thoughts on the value received for these players.

Is there enough upside here? Or does Carter's value outweigh these players.  Knowing that Perron is injured currently.

Hi All,

I drafted Evgeny Kuznetsov last year in my dynasty league and their is a GM in our league who is smitten with him.

That GM owns potentially the 1st overall pick in the upcoming draft, it will be no worse than 4.  Looking at this year's draft class, would this be a good deal to make if he's willing?

Does Kuznetsov have more value than say Larsson, Couturier, Nugent-Hopkins, etc.

Obviously, I don't know if he'd pull that trigger but if he would, is this a deal that makes sense?

Looking for some of your thoughts on David Perron.

I have a chance to acquire him in my dynasty league and I want to know what your thoughts are in terms of his long term potential. 

Only G and A matter in my league keep in mind.

What would a reasonable price be?  Trying to avoid dealing any of my picks, looking just to move spare parts.  For example people I might move would be Erat, S. Kostitsyn, Stafford, W. Simmonds.

I know he's looking for immediate help that can out produce Perron as he is trying to make our playoffs.  And to be honest, so am I.

I can list more of my assets in the comments if need be - cause our rosters are fairly deep

I come to the experts in need of advice.

I play in a keeper league, with a salary cap, waivers, the whole nine yards.  We just finished our 10th game of the year which means waivers are in effect and I am struggling at 5-5-0-0 for the season.

I come to the experts to see if I have my fantasy line up to par and if there are any moves that can be made.  Any one 23 and under can be moved down waiver free. If someone is sent down, they can't be recalled for 15 days. (I'll try to clarify more rules as the comments come in).

Lineups need 12 forwards, 6 defensemen and 2 goalies. Scoring is simple, goals and assists = 1 pt.  Goalie wins = 1.5, SO = 1.5, OTL = 0.5 and shootout loss = 1 pt

I will list my full lineup below + reserves.  Any help is greatly appreciated.

Even if you want to comment on the relative depth of the team, i'll take it!

Continue reading this post »

In two games, the Buffalo Bills' offense has sputtered to an average of 176 yards per game and a whopping 17 points. As everyone knows, they lost both games and are legitimately staring at an 0-4 start.

It was inevitable that Chan Gailey was going to make a move to spark the offense, and that came yesterday when he announced that Trent Edwards was going to the bench in favor of Ryan Fitzpatrick. In the short term, Fitzpatrick will take shots down field and use his mobility to try and buy time and create plays; not to mention that the team played much better with Fitzpatrick in the huddle than Edwards last year, so the team may be moderately more competitive in the weeks going forward. It's not like this is the change that will spark the Bills into a playoff run, however. Obviously.

So at 0-2, with hope slipping with each face-melting drive, Gailey turns to Fitzpatrick to stop the bleeding. Does anyone actually believe that he will? Fitzpatrick will always be limited as an NFL quarterback and we have seen what he can produce. He will have his moments and more than his fair share of bad ones, and at the end of it all, he can expect to ride out his last year as a backup in the Bills organization.

However, Gailey misses a golden opportunity here to start Brian Brohm for the next 14 games and see what he can do. This would have been the best scenario for the Bills in the long term, and in the end that is what matters, as this team desperately needs a competent starting quarterback.

Continue reading this post »

Hello Packer Fans,

I am writing to you (the experts) hoping that you will be able to answer some questions for me.

I am going to be attending a Packer game in the month of September but I am a fan of the Buffalo Bills and attending that game.  As a football fan, I always wanted to go to Lambeau Field and kind of soak in the experience.

So I am asking for any types of tips and/or things to be aware of for my trip.  For example: Could I wear other team's gear or would I be harassed endlessly.  Good food joints, parking tips...etc.

Any information would be helpful :)

The pre-season is the time for predictions, often bold ones. So here it goes: the Buffalo Bills will field a top-five defense in 2010.

Everyone talks about defense winning championships, and indeed, this cliche has already been featured here at Rumblings. However, the Bills will most likely find difficulty in winning a championship with their offense in 2010, but that discussion is for a different day. With that being said, I don't believe that it's a stretch to say that the Bills can field an elite defense.

Looking at the Bills' defense of 2009, they finished No. 19 overall in total defense, allowing 340.6 yards per game. Through the air, the Bills were fantastic, allowing 184.2 yards/game, good for second overall in the NFL. On the ground, however, they allowed 156.3 yards per game, which slotted them No. 30 overall. Should the Bills maintain their prolific pass defense and improve on their run defense, the Bills can climb the overall rankings quickly. For example: the Washington Redskins were No. 16 in run defense, allowing 112.4 yards per game. If the Bills had achieved that last year, they would have finished third overall in total defense, allowing 296.6 yards per game. 

The keys to the Bills' potential success after the jump.

Continue reading this post »

The 2010 Buffalo Bills face their own decision of sorts. Although I doubt that their decision will be aired in prime time on ESPN, if I'm honest, I'd probably watch if it was.

Between now and September 12, the Bills will have settled on a starting quarterback, and we will watch it unfold each and every week, like our own little mini-series. The choice will make some fans happy, some sad, some maybe will remain indifferent; but with each passing episode (game), we will analyze the play of the quarterback and come to a conclusion. The one question I am sure we will all ask ourselves is: was their performance good enough?

This brings us to the question of the day: how well does a Bills quarterback (take your pick as to which) have to perform in 2010 for the team to not address the position in next April's draft?

Thoughts from our editorial staff after the jump.

Continue reading this post »

The only constant in life is change. That quote is a certainty when referring to our Buffalo Bills.

Every year there are changes to the roster, as people are cut and signed, put on IR or signed on from the practice squad, maybe even traded or retired. Ticket prices are increased due to success, cut due to mediocrity, or remain the same for a variety of reasons. Jerseys change for better or worse, and aside from division rivals, who we play varies as well.

These types of change we roll with. We express how we either agree or disagree, or maybe even could care less. It all comes with the territory of being a fan. However, as Bills fans, the change we all fear the most is the one that is absolutely inevitable:

What happens to the Buffalo Bills when Ralph Wilson passes on?

The Roundtable tackles that very question and tries to put your fears at ease after the jump.

Continue reading this post »

The running back position always leaves people wanting more. It all depends on the team that you root for, really.  However, in most cases, fans of teams always want more from their running backs. To illustrate my point, look at the following scenarios:

Scenario A: Team has an established, productive between-the-tackles or outside-the-tackles running back. The team employing said back wants either

a) a back who can spell the lead back and be just as effective,
b) a spell back who is the opposite of what the lead back is (in terms of inside/outside prowess), or
c) one who does less of whatever the current running back does poorly.

Scenario B: Team does not have an established, productive running back.  This team requires either

a) a productive running back who is effective running the ball either between the tackles or outside, then
b) repeat the following wants from Scenario A.

This leads us the the Buffalo Bills' dilemma regarding Marshawn Lynch.

Obviously he can be productive and help spell some of our other backs; most importantly, he is talented. He also comes with baggage, and is one slip-up away from taking a sabbatical for a year. Yet to trade him for nothing seems wasteful. Or does it?

You asked about the role of Marshawn Lynch come Week 1, or if he'll be on the team at all at that point. Opinions after the jump.

Continue reading this post »

The fun of the NFL Draft is that it is an inexact science. If every pick panned out, then there wouldn't be such a big deal about analyzing a prospect's boom or bust potential. You would simply draft based on need and know that you were going to get an NFL caliber player. Good thing it isn't that simple, or we would have less to talk about.

Personally, after you have missed the playoffs for what seems like forever (10 years to be exact), you start wondering about the what could have been. An example of this would be the classic "Ngata or Whitner" debates, which always leads to passionate conversation. This, in turn, brings us to today's question posed to the roundtable:

Is this Aaron Maybin's make or break year? Answers after the jump...

Continue reading this post »

Fan (noun): an enthusiastic devotee, follower, or admirer of a sport, pastime, celebrity, or other entity.

Arguably, if you are a member of the site you are a fan of the Buffalo Bills. But how many of you, then, are members of other NFL blogs? Granted, there could be a logical reason of this being the case. For example, perhaps you joined to defend your team's honor or their star player. But what if there was another reason? Something that you don't admit to as much and keep to yourself, only to really bring it up when it is truly relevant.

Do you have a second favorite team?

Far-fetched isn't it? Maybe not as crazy as you think though. You asked the staff at Rumblings if we had a second favorite team; our answers are after the jump.

Continue reading this post »

May in the NFL is the great unknown. It is also the time when hope springs eternal for all NFL teams. The NFL Draft has ended, the rookies are in camp, and everyone dreams big. Every season in the NFL has the proverbial rags to riches story where a team comes out of nowhere and shocks the world. 

Buffalo Bills fans are no different, and we do dream big because quite frankly, 10 years is long enough. This is why we always look at schedules and project wins and losses and wonder how long it's going to take before someone "shows us the baby."  This leads the Rumblings Roundtable to try and answer two of the more popular questions that are on the front burner of Bills fans' minds in May: what should we expect record-wise from the Bills, and are we in win now mode or rebuild mode?

Projections after the jump...

Continue reading this post »

Welcome to the first edition of the Buffalo Rumblings Roundtable, in which the editorial staff fields questions from the community. The questions came in fast and furious, and after long and careful deliberation, enclosed you will (hopefully) find answers that will put your long lost questions for your staff members at rest. And if not, well, there is always next time! What I can promise is that enclosed is one of the most asked questions of all time! How's that for a teaser?

As well, I'd like to thank everyone for the questions that the initial call for questions received. It was fun and exciting to see the different questions and to see what is on the mind of the community at large. We plan to do this again, so be ready and have those questions ready for the next call. Oh, and the Bills responses will be coming soon... so think of this as a teaser.

Questions and answers after the jump.

Continue reading this post »

When the Buffalo Bills waited until the seventh Round of the 2010 NFL Draft to select a quarterback, the general consensus was that the Bills were doomed to another year plagued by inconsistency at football's most important position. GM Buddy Nix and company passed on the likes of Jimmy Clausen, Colt McCoy and many others because of the belief that none of those individuals were ready to contribute from day one.

With rookie mini-camps and OTAs fast approaching, we will soon be able to make assumptions on who the leading candidate is to lead the Bills' offense. Chan Gailey's offense will be a completely different animal than what we have seen over the last couple of seasons. This will lead to a wide open competition for three roster spots, and a very interesting pre-season to watch it all unfold.

As we go through OTAs and the pre-season, these odds can change dramatically, so expect a lot of movement. Let's take a look at the betting favorites as of May, which you'll find after the jump.

Continue reading this post »

Greetings fellow Rumblers! This will be the first in a weekly series of posts to get a chance to ask the Rumblings staff those burning questions that you have always wanted to ask, but maybe never got around to. With this, I introduce the Rumblings Roundtable.

Want to hear what the staff thinks about how we rate the recent Bills draft? Maybe which player will have the greatest impact in a Bills uniform this season? Or what quarterback is best suited to lead this team and why? Any team-related question is open for discussion, and the more creative, the better.

Additionally, the forum is open for those personal questions about the staff that you wondered about. Maybe you're curious how Rumblings started? Or what weird game day rituals the staff has? If we are boxers, briefs or neither type of people.

Post your questions in the comments section below and rec the questions that you like or find insightful. We will select the top one or two reader-submitted questions related to the team and one non-football related question for as many of the staff that we can get. We'll close the comments section on Wednesday, and the first installment of Rumblings Roundtable will soon follow.

Open forum people, have at it!

After watching last nights game, I was listening to SIRUS today and they had mentioned an interesting thought, that I would like to share with you all and get your throughts.

Summing it up, the Bills are worse off running the no huddle than they are if they would actually huddle.  Now their logic was that the huddle gives the rookies and Edwards time to call the play, take a minute to get settled, make their reads at the line and adjust accordingly.  While the no huddle prompts them to call the line at the play, gives little time to get settled as they are down and set (the OL) while Edwards makes his reads and audibles (if necessary).

Since after 4 games, the offense seems to have regressed, what's the harm in going into the last game on Thursday and huddle for it?  Couldn't hurt in my opinion.

Thoughts?