SB Nation User Blog: poz

Linebacker trade possibilities before deadline this afternoon

poz — Tue, 20 Oct 2009 08:23:58 -0000

We should know by the end of today if Roscoe Parrish is going anywhere via trade, or if the Buffalo Bills make a move for any players to help this injury-plagued team make a playoff run with a surprisingly soft upcoming schedule. While some point to our upcoming opponents' combined record to show that we face an easy road ahead, our biggest weakness is run defense, and our biggest strength is pass defense. Unfortunately, the teams we are set to face are all stellar running teams.

As the Jets, Dolphins, and Browns showed, we can be run on quite easily. With Chris Johnson, LenDale White, Maurice Jones-Drew, DeAngelo Williams, Jonathan Stewart, Steve Slaton, Ricky Williams, Ronnie Brown, Leon Washington and Thomas Jones again up on the schedule, if we do make a trade, it should be for a linebacker to help out with Kawika Mitchell down for the year and Keith Ellison not getting the job done in run support. Losing Kawika also hurts our pass rush, so I can see us looking for a player who can do that as well.

With that in mind, below are some likely and realistic targets I can see us trying to seal the deal on before the NFL's trade deadline - which just happens to be today - based on rumors and tidbits gathered of who’s on the block.

1. Antwan Barnes, LB, Baltimore Ravens: NFL Network reported that the Ravens backup linebacker Antwan Barnes is on the block. Although the 6'1", 245-pound backup has never started a game in his three seasons in the league, Barnes is said to possess good pass rushing skills. In five games with playing time this year, he has an interception and 7 tackles and notched two sacks as a backup in his rookie season. The Ravens need a returner and receiver depth, so I can see Parrish being involved here. Because Barnes is only 25 and has pretty decent potential, I also think a late rounder - maybe a seventh - would have to be thrown into the mix.

2. Kamerion Wimbley, LB, Cleveland Browns: A former first-round pick who has not quite lived up to expectations after a monstrous rookie season for the Browns is reportedly on the trade block – which is surprising considering he appears to finally be breaking out this year. Despite missing last game with the flu, he has 4 sacks (one on Trent Edwards) and 32 tackles in five games in 2009. Wimbley also has 4 sacks in '08, 5 sacks in '07 and 11 sacks in his rookie year in '06. Mike Lombardi writes:

Tuesday is the trading deadline, but I’m not optimistic there will be many deals. The Browns can’t trade Josh Cribbs (I hear they won’t), but will try to move outside backer/defensive end Kamerion Wimbley, who missed Sunday’s game against the Steelers with the flu.

I’m not sure how effective Wimbley can be in a 4-3 (I believe he has only played in a 3-4, but correct me if I’m wrong please), but I would definitely put him in over Ellison or Palmer. The Browns already have a great return man in Cribbs and their special teams is fantastic, so Parrish isn’t an option here. We’d likely have to give up a lot get him, and with his stock so high, Mangini is obviously cashing in on a player that he didn’t draft while he can. I’d say a third and sixth would do it, though competition from 3-4 teams that are struggling to get to the passer (i.e. the Cowboys opposite DeMarcus Ware) could jack up the price to a third and a fifth. In my opinion, it is worth considering if the film shows he can be productive in a 4-3.

3. Also from Mike Lombardi: "If I were working in the NFL today, I might want to call the Titans since it looks like they might be offering all their players in a fire sale." Based on that I’m going to take some creative liberties here and say that David Thornton, a 30-year-old outside linebacker that measures in at 6’2", 225 pounds, can be had for a fourth or a fifth-round pick. The Titans are going to have to re-build their defense, and while Thornton has been a crowd favorite in Tennessee, he is aging, and a re-building team doesn’t tend to keep aging players when they are 0-6. I don’t see them trading franchise great Keith Bullock, but I do see them willing to give up the unspectacular but solid run stopping linebacker Thornton. He won’t make many big plays, but he is a solid tackler and will bolster a team's run defense. I like the sound of that.

Anyway, the deadline is this afternoon. If we don’t patch our run defense up, the upcoming schedule is quite terrifying. Quentin Groves is reportedly on the market, but I see no place for him here. Add any of your own targets if you've got them.

Pep Talk

poz — Sat, 17 Oct 2009 21:11:36 -0000

Tomorrow is our Super Bowl.

I know it's been really hard to stay positive recently, and for good reason. The tone on these boards from just about everyone, myself included, has been about who are next coach should be, how to get our new franchise quarterback, will our draft pick be a top 5 or top 10 and whether or not its classy to put up billboards calling for the head of our coach. All of these discussions are justified and with such a dim outlook, expected.

Nonetheless, I do think its important that we not lose sight of how amped up we all must get for Sunday's game against the Jets. At the end of the day, all of that other stuff is just the side show to what really matters - and why we all visit this blog in the first place. What really matters is that tomorrow our Buffalo Bills are going to take the field facing a formidable division rival. We have already dropped two in the division - one a heartbreaker and the other a blood bath - and are truly facing being out of it tomorrow. At 1-4, a big win now would be just the spark this team needs to get worked up and turn this season around. A loss about definitely dooms us to missing the playoffs.

Tomorrow is big, really freaking big, for this team. Posluszny and Whitner return to try and pull off the miracle. If we win tomorrow, we are back in the thick of it. And if the Titans beat the Pats, well heck, our whole division is within a game of each other. I'd get ready to make some noise because this could be the last game that matters this year. Let's go Buffalo. Let's go Bills. Let's BEAT THE DAMN JETS!!

Without Derek Schouman, is it time to set Shawn Nelson loose?

poz — Thu, 15 Oct 2009 14:37:41 -0000

Something I heard ESPN's John Clayton say the other day has really resonated with me and really brought to light an aspect of the Buffalo Bills' offense which may be contributing to our ineptitude on that side of the ball more than we realize. If my memory serves me accurately, Clayton noted that defenses in 2009 are bracketing number one wide recievers with a defensive back and a safety more than ever this year and that as a result, teams are channeling their offenses through tight ends at a record pace. According to Clayton, eight tight ends this season are on pace for 80 receptions, while 12 more are on pace for 70 catches. In essence, two thirds of teams this season are likely to have their tight ends emerge as their leader in receptions.

Is it possible that it is no coincidence that our offensive struggles truly became apparent after the season-ending injury to Derek Schouman, who during the Bucs game was emerging as our receptions leader?

It's been evident since Week 1 that we are struggling to get the ball to our superb receivers, with Trent Edwards obtaining the nickname "Captain Checkdown" because of all his dinks and dunks to Fred Jackson and then later on, Marshawn Lynch. Of course, in our case - and I have been outspoken about this - our offense is inept because we have the worst offensive line in the league, but is it not possible that Captain Checkdown can become effective if he starts using a tight end capable of coming through for him like Ben Watson, Vernon Davis, Antonio Gates, Anthony Fasano, Zach Miller, Dallas Clark and dozens more are for their quarterbacks? Obviously, with our offensive line problem, I am very aware that someone like Derek Fine and even Shawn Nelson, are supposed to be vitally needed to help block. However, its clear at this point that a tight end can do little to stem the tide through our porous line - the problems are simply too large for a tight end to help.

It may be time to set Shawn Nelson loose strictly as a receiving tight end and keep him in for a majority of the snaps in this role. We need to get creative and throw the kitchen sink at our offense and we can start by using Shawn as he was meant to be used - as a receiver. Trent Edwards obviously does not have the time - and in the eyes of some fans, the will or ability - to throw the ball downfield right now. Well, if this is the QB we have to rally around to try and turn the season around, we might as well play to his tendencies, even if they are undesirable. We know our running backs are great receivers, and if we throw Nelson out on routes consistently, it could help give Trent more checkdown options. You never know - it could even result in teams pulling safeties off of Lee Evans and Terrell Owens.

Tight ends are rapidly evolving into offensive weapons which are integral parts to a potent offense. Let's use Nelson as a receiver exclusively; our offensive line is not going to get better with a tight end blocking, and if we are going to give Trent two seconds to make a read, we might as well give him more check down options.

Letter to the Rumblings Community

poz — Mon, 12 Oct 2009 16:36:13 -0000

Bros,

It would appear that I have hit rock bottom as a Bills fan. Through all the heartbreak and disappointment over my two decades of consciously watching (I don’t remember anything pre-4 to 5 years old), 2009 in 5 weeks has emerged as the worst season I have ever experienced. What about wide right? The Music City Miracle? Losing to third stringers to miss the playoffs? Those were all heartbreaking moments but to me they have nothing on this season and let me explain why.

Dick Jauron and the front office have learned a valuable lesson in football basics and that is that you do not win without a capable offensive line. They gambled on assembling the most talented team the Bills have fielded in well over 5 years but by going cheap on the offensive line. Over the last three years the Bills were in the playoff hunt until at least the last quarter of the season with vastly - vastly - inferior teams but it goes to show you that you win in the trenches. While cutting G Derrick Dockery, T Langston Walker and trading T Jason Peters saved the Bills millions in cap room it basically trashed the season and they are likely to pay for their miscalculation either this week or next as Ralph Wilson will undoubtedly clean house after watching his team lose 6-3 to a winless Browns team despite holding the opposing quarterback to two completions for 23 yards and an interception. For the fifth straight week the offense could not move down the field due to an uncanny amount of holding, false start, illegal formation, or whatever other myriad of penalties we have accumulated this season. The Bills offense committed 13 penalties with nine coming from only offensive lineman as I believe LT Demetrius Bell remains the league leader in penalties despite being injured for significant time. However, that is only a small part of why this is my worst season as a Bills fan, ever.

Never in my life of watching football - at the college or pro level - have I witnessed such a ferocious stream of injuries to the point that I do not even recognize the team that is being fielded. I am not sure if God is punishing Dick Jauron for something he did in his past but in the season in which he needed a playoff birth he has been decimated by disaster after disaster, week in and week out, of injuries. Please humor me for a moment and tell me this injury/time missed or not playing at 100% list does not make your jaw drop in disbelief: Starting MLB Paul Posluszny, 2nd string MLB John DiGiorgio, 3rd string MLB Marcus Buggs, starting OLB AND 4th string MLB Kawika Mitchell, starting FS Donte Whitner, starting SS Bryan Scott, 2nd string FS Jairus Byrd, starting CB and 2008 Kick Return leader Leodis McKelvin, starting RT Brad Butler, starting TE Derek Schouman, 2nd string TE Shawn Nelson, starting LT Demetrius Bell, rotational DT John McCargo, starting CB Terrence McGee, rotational DE Chris Ellis, starting RB Marshawn Lynch, 4th string CB Ellis Lankster, 4th WR James Hardy, 5th WR Steve Johnson.

But back to my main point: Those heartbreakers I mentioned earlier happened during seasons in which we were good – very good – and so I was proud of Buffalo or to a team that had been assembled by bit pieces (as in the Steelers loss). This is what has been the most painful for me, watching a young, promising team get torn up piece by piece each and every week. After ten years of endless defeat this season has been my worst because personally, I enjoyed watching this team get built and maybe foolishly, maybe not believed it was destined to be together for a while and accomplish great things on the football field. I love the players on this team, I loved watching the young talent we were infusing through the draft like Poz and Lynch and McKelvin and I loved the free agent talent like Kawika and Stroud and TO we were bringing in. It just feels like this unit had unfinished business and that is why, after ten years of stagnation, it really bothered me to watch this season unfold into such a disaster so early. Perhaps the players aren't as good as I think or maybe its that the team didn't have the right coach but I choose to believe this squad was built well and that it had an air of being something you could get behind for a good, long while. I guess what I'm saying in the end is that it pains me to see this group of guys fail as they have and do so in such an injury stricken way.

The good news is that knowing I've hit rock bottom I probably will never endure a season this bad for the rest of my life or that if I do, its because we somehow turn this season around as it is still early. The bad news is knowing how the Bills like to toy with the fans they might make a push just to fall one game shy of the playoffs. The best news is that head coach Dick Jauron is going to be fired during what many are calling the "golden offseason" for coaching hires. Returning to coaching for 2010 are likely to be legendary coaches and Super Bowl champions Mike Holmgren, Bill Cowher, Mike Shanahan, Jon Gruden and Brian Billick. Some are saying Gruden is pining for the Bills job but so far its just a rumor. Either way I am hopeful all of these coaches will view Buffalo as a desirable place to coach because of the fact that they are all returning with 2 concerns. One, they are addicted and passionate about football and are coming back to have as much control over a team as possible which we can provide because we are cleaning house. Two, they are all fearful of tarnishing their legacies by returning to coach horrible teams that they cannot win with. This is tough to avoid as all teams looking for new coaches tend to be terrible or they would not be looking in the first place. Here is where Buffalo comes in, it is an incredibly talented roster and very very young - built to win for a while with the right architect. The offense has TO, Lee Evans, Fred Jackson and Marshawn Lynch complimented with young WR and TE corp depth and a promising QB you can either dump for a high first round pick or try to develop. The defense has Paul Posluszny, Kyle Williams, Marcus Stroud, Leodis McKelvin, Kawika Mitchell, Donte Whitner Aaron Schobel, Aaron Maybin and Terrence McGee. All of these coaches know that if they can build an offensive line and develop or find a good QB, they can win in Buffalo.

So that’s that and I thank whichever one of you actually read this long post through. After initial anger at the horrendous Browns loss and a done season I have landed in a peaceful calm, it's in fact relieving to know when you've hit rock bottom, it gets it out of the way and the team can clean up the trash and move on. I've never been one to call a season over or to call for a coaching change prematurely but in this case I think it is inevtiable that Jauron is finished. You simply can not keep a head coaching job if you score 3 points on the Browns and lose when the other QB has 23 yards and a pick. I also will continue to cheer for the Bills to win every game, I'd rather root for a horrible Bills team than not have them at all and hey, you really never know if 2009 is done.

Whatever the case, I'm keeping my fingers crossed for Shanahan.

- poz

Poll

If one of the following five coaches comes to Buffalo, which one would you prefer most?

Mike Shanahan

26 votes

Brian Billick

9 votes

Bill Cowher

100 votes

Jon Gruden

29 votes

Mike Holmgren

9 votes

173 votes | Poll has closed

Some things to take away from MNF

poz — Tue, 15 Sep 2009 16:21:31 -0000

I know it feels like "new season, same story" right now. We have seen this before - impressive big game performance with big plays that make us look ready to take the next step but we ultimately fall just short by some horrific turn of events. Believe me, I've thought of all the negatives over and over again. I feel better this morning but that lump in my throat and twist in my gut are still there as a reminder of how bad last night felt. Let's also remember, division games are what keeps you in or out of the playoffs and we let the Pats get away with one when we caught them vulnerable. That stings and hurts our playoff chances even if it is week one. That all being said, I do think there were some signs that this year will not be like all the others. This team in many ways smashed the many common fan complaints about why we wouldn't be able to compete this year in the process of this heart breaking loss and if you distance yourself from that sinking feeling you have right now, you might be suprised what you find:

1.) Trent Edwards led our team the length of the football field for what we all thought was the game winning drive. He looked accurate and poised and displayed a knack for making the big plays. He seemed to grasp his offense well and commanded the team properly. The deeper we go into the season the better his timing and feel for his offensive lines capabilities will get, something which derailed us on that final drive for the game winning field goal.

2.) Aaron Schobel is back! With some fans foolishly calling for him to get cut, Aaron Schobel showed he was back from injury and ready to return to his old self. A great sack, a great interception, a great read on the screen, and a great touchdown were the highlights. Constant pressure and explosiveness were the story. Not only that, our entire defensive line was getting pressure and breaking through who the analysts say is one of the best offensive lines in the game - not just on passing downs but on crucial third and fourth and shorts. Nobody stops the Pats on fourth and an inch - we did. Kyle Williams and Marcus Stroud looked great and Maybin obviously needs work but is going to be a stud. Schobel is back.

3.) Our offensive line did not looked terrible, or even bad. That is huge. They had some great moments and some terrible ones, but they are the greenest o-line many of us will ever see this team have in our lives and they played hard and gave their all. Demetrius Bell made some key mistakes, those will go down. They need chemistry and thats what practice is for. This is a unit that will get better each week as they get more comfortable together. One thing they already do great? Screens, especially with Fred Jackson back there. Thats a testiment to the athleticism we have on the line. This unit will be great one day, and they will get closer to that day with each week.

4.) Our defense was simply outstanding. We held arguably the best offense in the league to 25 points but truly 19 if you take away the fumble and 13 points with minutes left in the game. Our defensive line was borderline dominating the Pats vaunted offensive line, Donte Whitner was flying around the field, Terrence McGee was playing great and Leodis made better tackles that last year he would have blown. Take heart that both of Tom Brady's final two touchdowns were targeted at Keith Ellison who was in for Poz. Brady could only make his "magic" happen when our defensive captain wasn't in his position. We look like a defense that can keep us in every single game and even win us a few - they almost did last night. They should have if not for the football gods distaste for our team.

5.) Fred Jackson is a beast. Enough said. An absolute beast.

6.) Terrell Owens didn't have a good game. He is going to be angry and he will want to prove that he is still a stud. TO will step up and play with a chip on his shoulder. In fact, our whole team will. They are angry, they should be angry. This better not deflate this team, it should infuriate them. They will crush the Bucs, this team looks good, they are good. They better use this to play mad. We lost to the Pats when we should have won in their stadium. We get them again in December on our field. We will crush them.

Bottom Line: Our team is good. Keep your heads up.

Insight on Inexperience on the Line

poz — Thu, 10 Sep 2009 18:01:03 -0000

Having never played on an offensive line the knowledge I possess about what is happening in the trenches I’ve obtained – aside from a life watching the Bills– by reading. While I have certainly read a lot on the topic, a lifetime of reading newspapers and watching ESPN has taught me that you never get the full story from pundits, analysts, and experts. In much the same way, watching the Bills offensive line play as a fan can never teach me as much as I want to know The same way you would read a book on war by a General who was in one or ask what raising kids is like from someone who has done it, I like to go to these types of sources when I want to know more. While situations obviously differ, it is still valuable to know someone else’s thoughts on raising kids, even though your experience will be entirely different.

In this vain, I wrote an email to a longtime friend of mine who spent a 4 year career as a division III offensive lineman with multiple years worth of starting experience playing on some very good first place teams allowing him to obtain NCAA playoff competition experience. He is not a Bills fan, is not from Buffalo, and is largely unfamiliar with our team. My email was long as I explained as specifically as I could what the Bills situation on the line was like, even using Brian’s 2008 to 2009 starting experience difference layout within it. In the end I closed by asking him if he thought our line had the potential to gel this season.

Obviously, playing division III ball is not the same as playing in the NFL but he was highly talented on a highly talented team. Beyond that I know no one else who dedicates themselves more to a task they are engaged in, he took playing offensive lineman very seriously and I trust his opinion like few others. I thought his email response contained a few insights interesting enough to share with you guys and coming from a non-fan, I found they might stir up some good discussion:

On inexperience

I can definitely understand your concern. Having such a green offensive line is extremely concerning when you have all those offensive weapons at your skill positions. While I am not familiar with the individual personnel, the numbers are hard to look beyond. Throwing in a 2nd year guy at left tackle who has never started a down, compounded by the fact that his left guard is equally lacking in experience is very risky. He's out on an island, and guard/tackle communication is extremely important especially in pass protection schemes. The two have to be constantly talking it up, one blown assignment and a defender could walk through untouched.

He was adamant on emphasizing the importance of the guard-tackle relationship in regards to communication. It seemed to me that his biggest concern was that each half of the lines communication (LT-LG and RT-RG) were separate but vital. This leaves me more than a bit concerned with the fact that our left side of the line is two guys who have never played in the NFL, they could possibly both be bewildered on occasion with neither having experience at this level in recognizing what’s happening or communicating it to the other guy, sometimes both simultaneously.

On Hangartner

oline chemistry and communication is vital on the field, but it starts off the field with leadership. The line is starkly divided between the two halves: right and left, meaning the two do not communicate with each other much. That is why the center's role is so critical, he is the glue that keeps the line together and communicates between the two sides. In that respect you are lucky that at least your center has some experience.

We all know Hangartner is a smart but I hope he is assertive too. Reading this made me realize that I was overlooking just how vital Hangartner will be to our success on the line this year. To his left are two first timers and to his right is another. If the kids we have on the line are looking to anyone its going to be Hangman. His point about off the field leadership I found interesting. In his email he told me that the best o-line he ever played on went out to dinner as a unit every week and were centered on unity and off-the-field leadership. Can Eric Wood do that as a rookie?

On Bell

I'm sure Bell has a lot of raw talent, but so did Winston Justice-- the 6-6, 320 lb tackle selected in the second round as the 39th overall pick out of USC in 2006. The Eagles found out the hard way the next year when they put in Justice to replace injured starter William Thomas and Umenyiora put on a sack expo on Justice, racking up a career high 6 sacks. It was sad to watch. Umenyiora was even quoted as saying he had so many sacks he felt bad for the kid, and that "it was like a video game out there".

This again leaves me nervous that when Bell does feel overwhelmed, which he will at times as a rookie, his support is going to be another rookie who may also be feeling overwhelmed.

Answering the gelling question

To answer your question do I think they will be able to mesh this season, well I'd have to say it's really a question of how they interact off the field. I know from experience that the best olines to play on are the ones that have the best off the field relationships with mutual respect for one another. Also you should hope that the starting 5 now are indeed the best 5 and remain as that for the duration of the season. Competition for a starting role can screw up the rest of the line when trying to develop a rhythm. The more they work together as a unit the more they will improve week after week.

Seeing as how he was unfamiliar with the turmoil going on at OBD and the anger over Langston Walker’s release, this is an unbiased and unwitting endorsement of Jauron’s move to get rid of Walker and put in Bell rather than doing it mid-season as many here thought would happen. He also pointed out later in his email that on the best team he played for all 5 lineman were healthy for every single game. Here’s hoping right?

So after reading the email, I walked away feeling better and worse about our offensive line if that’s possible. In terms of feeling worse, I guess I may have been overlooking the seriousness of having two essential rookies on one side of the line and what it could mean for communication. While its comforting to know we will have Butler at RT to help the learning curve there, the left side is a bit scary to think about. While my friend pointed out that Bell will be left on an island, I did not mention in my email that we have a pretty good blocking tight end who will be in the game often, so I’m hoping that provides Bell some support. The good news I walked away with is the stress he put on off-the-field relationships to the most successful lines he played on. I like the personality of this group and I think that so long as they don’t splinter after a rough outing or two and turn on each other, they could develop a great rapport.

Thoughts on the youth of the o-line and gelling?

Poll

Who do you think will, not should, emerge as the leader of our offensive line in 2009?

Brad Butler

13 votes

Geoff Hangartner

47 votes

Demetrius Bell

1 votes

Eric Wood

41 votes

Andy Levitre

1 votes

No one will emerge, we are doomed

1 votes

104 votes | Poll has closed

Cut day action thread- league wide activity

poz — Sat, 05 Sep 2009 19:01:18 -0000

Since the front page should and will be filled with Bills related cut day activity, I'm putting up this thread with the purpose of opening a forum for everyone to keep each other updated on any league wide information they hear in regards to cuts or trade rumors that we might find note worthy as Bills fans. With our team seemingly launching cuts and trades with more to come, the rest of the leagues activity could have a major impact on our team.

A few of the notes I'm interested in to kick things off:

Reports are saying Jags might cut tackle Tony Pashos today.

The Chiefs have supposedly put heavy hitting safety Bernard Pollard on the trade block

The Giants cut undrafted Sha-reff Rashad, he looked pretty good in preseason.

And for those who really are caught up in anti-Edwards sentiment at the moment, MRW noted in another thread that Joey Harrington was released.

I have never seen a larger over reaction to a pre season in my life

poz — Tue, 01 Sep 2009 23:56:46 -0000

Some of you may have noticed I haven't posted here in a while. Truth be told, the Philly fan like attitude of a majority of the posters around here sort of turned me away for a bit. It has really gotten out of control. The worst of it has to be in regards to Trent Edwards from people rehashing JP Losman arguments, to calls for starting Fitzpatrick (did you watch a Bengals game last year?), raising questions for AJ Feeley (they were so confident in him they got Mike Vick), to talk of garbage QBs Tyler Thigpen and Tarvaris Jackson who between the two of them saw their teams upgrade from them three different times. Whatever happened to the reasonable and rationale commentary I've come to expect from everyone on this blog? It is the pre-season, which no matter how much you want to get excited about it because you can't wait for football still means absolutely nothing at the end of the day - if it did the league wouldn't be seriously looking into cutting it down to two games. The way some of you have been behaving has led me to gather that you've never actually followed the preseason until this year, if you have- you should know better. A few things to keep in mind before you go throwing this whole season in the garbage:

1.) In last season's preseason we saw records of:

New England 0-4 preseason
Baltimore Ravens 1-3 preseason
Indy Colts 1-4 preseason
Giants and Eagles 2-2 preseason
Seahawks 3-1preseason

2.) Last year Detroit was undefeated in the pre-season.

3.) I know Ron from NM does a great o-line study (and I really appreciate it Ron, its great stuff) but you can't let individual lineman performances cloud your judgement on the fact that as a unit they are all still rookies or at a new position. The fact that Marshawn, Freddie, and Rhodes can't run and Edwards can't pass does not mean that they are JP Losman or that we should go sign TJ Duckett and AJ Feeley. Again, its the pre-season, the o-line is supposed to learn and try things out.

4.) Terrell Owens played in one drive and we looked pretty darn good moving the ball.

5.) We are employing a new system with a coordinator looking to improve his unpredictability. Do you want to bet the offense is using these meaningless games to try out plays and calls that aren't what you'll see on game day? You are not seeing our product on the field. Thats reserved for practice.

6.) The starters aren't even going full strength nor should they as Mario Williams showed last night by pulling up on Favre when he could have ended his career in his own end zone. I play better at sports when I try 100% then I do playing 85%, MUCH better. On meaningful Sundays with TO on the field you can bet the playbook will be different and the effort will be greater.

6.) Stick to watching backups and analyzing position and roster battles, the starters aren't going to tell you a thing about how they will perform in season, every year its the same story. Some fan base gets all worked up about nothing and then when their team starts off pretty good they all pat themselves on the back and cheer for a guy they were ripping apart a few weeks earlier and vica versa in the case of teams like the Lions and Bengals - preseason darlings.

Relax and stop calling for Trent to be replaced. You just might get your wish and find AJ Feeley throwing 4 picks a game in week 6. For now, while all you jump off the bandwagon, I'll still be sitting there with my giant tub of popcorn ready for Monday Night Football.

Maybin gets $17.6 million over five years

poz — Fri, 21 Aug 2009 19:21:35 -0000

Maybin gets $17.6 million over five years

ProFootballTalk.com reports that Aaron Maybin's rookie deal is worth $17.6 million in base salaries over five years. ESPN's Adam Schefter adds that the deal has a maximum value of $25 million.

B.J. Raji and Packers come to terms

poz — Fri, 14 Aug 2009 00:24:06 -0000

B.J. Raji and Packers come to terms

No. 9 overall pick DT B.J. Raji and the Green Bay Packers have agreed to a deal. Raji is expected to sign the deal Friday and report to camp.

One more holdout down. Is Aaron Maybin the next to sign?

This signing helps the situation; coupled with Adam Schefter's latest tweet predicting this signing and John Clayton's report that Maybin's deal should be completed "within 24 hours," Maybin watch is apparently heating up quickly.