Demulling a lion

[nolimit]

as per espnnews

[djjimkelly]

i just saw it there too it says to a 2 year deal i have to wonder what kind of deal could he have signed that we couldnt match? we must have not liked him

[Novacane]

ok Ice and pals............commence *****ing and whining :cry:

[dannyek71]

I'll wine..(Unless he got a huge amount of $$$)

[Romes]

i'd really like to have the confidence TD apparently has in our OL. I'd really like to know what he knows...maybe then I'll feel better.

[gobuffalo2007]

i just saw it there too it says to a 2 year deal i have to wonder what kind of deal could he have signed that we couldnt match? we must have not liked him
then who do we like?

[Mudflap1]

We usually don't get guys when there are competitive bids and they 'think' about it. We usually get our guys when we are the first bid, or they are in town and we lock them down...

Bledsoe is an exception off the top of my head...

Jon

[helmetguy]

Um...we traded for Bledsoe. It's not like he shopped himself here. Different story entirely.

[jpdex12]

This sucks! DeMulling looked like a good pick up. He better have gotten som ebig bucks. I like conservatism, but TD better not be too much of a tightwad. We'll see.

[DynaPaul]

Damn, ah well...

[jamze132]

I wouldn't worry too much about not getting DeMulling. If Donahoe really wanted him that bad, he would have. Just have some faith in what Donahoe is doing. I know none of us have any clue about whats going on behind the scenes and all but lets just wait and see. Lets not forget that we have arguably the best O line coach talking to Donahoe.

[Mudflap1]

Um...we traded for Bledsoe. It's not like he shopped himself here. Different story entirely.
Ummmmmmmmmm...

The two finalists for the Bledsoe trade were Buffalo and Cincinnati. Bledsoe preferred to go to Buffalo because he liked the situation better. Kraft said that was fine.

Get your story straight before you give a smart ass answer...

Jon

[BuffaloRanger]

No TD has a plan. Just because the Bills didn't improve the line in the first round of FA doesn't mean that the Bills can't improve in the draft - with the 52 pick.

Just think of all the quality OTs get released on June 1st and during Training Camp. It's much too early to worry.

We have to save money to make a lowball offer to Clements before the season starts that he will turn down. Then the Bills will have that money next off season when they refuse to talk to Clements or his agent and he signs with the Skins.

[Dicknoze69]

The sky is falling !!!! :funny:

[LabattBlue]

If the Bills are going to spend some money on the OL, they would be best served getting a trade done with Arizona for Shelton and then draft an OC and OG with their first two picks in the draft.

[Dozerdog]

We usually don't get guys when there are competitive bids and they 'think' about it. We usually get our guys when we are the first bid, or they are in town and we lock them down...

Bledsoe is an exception off the top of my head...

Jon

Vincent chose us over 3 teams after "thinking about it" for a week, Sam Adams the year before, Milloy had his choice of 3-4 teams and took a few days to decide.....

[Dozerdog]

No TD has a plan. Just because the Bills didn't improve the line in the first round of FA doesn't mean that the Bills can't improve in the draft - with the 52 pick.

Just think of all the quality OTs get released on June 1st and during Training Camp. It's much too early to worry.

We have to save money to make a lowball offer to Clements before the season starts that he will turn down. Then the Bills will have that money next off season when they refuse to talk to Clements or his agent and he signs with the Skins.


Want some cheese with that?

http://www.myers.com/images/wine.gif

[BuffaloRanger]

No, No, No. That's what you'd expect a GM to do. Way too obvious.

A Master Poker Player never makes the obvious play. You aren't considered a genius if you pick the players everyone thinks you should. Where's the risk? Where's the reward?

The draft is to build the team for 2007. FA is for getting sweet deals on FAs that no other team wants.

[BuffaloRanger]

Want some cheese with that?



Not whining - just facts.

1. Always impact Oline there at 52.
2. Many, many, many starting OT get released after the draft.
3. Clements "Mr Ego" will happily sign a lowball offer from TD.
4. TD's the best GM in the NFL, record be damned, just ask all his former co-workers at ESPN.

[Mudflap1]

Vincent chose us over 3 teams after "thinking about it" for a week, Sam Adams the year before, Milloy had his choice of 3-4 teams and took a few days to decide.....
True enough... although I think Milloy was more of a Buffalo show with maybe the Redskins saying they might visit with him. We signed him pretty darn fast...

How about all the guys Tom Donahoe's lost in negotiations, or all the guys he didn't even give a phone call to? Sure, you can't overpay, at least most of the time, but there's a lot...

We can't even get the 'B' and 'C' players to come here anymore, they're all choosing teams like the Lions over us...

Stay tuned...

Jon

[lordofgun]

We'd better re-sign Marcus Price.

[helmetguy]

No need to get rabid there, flappy. Just saying that Bledsoe didn't have a whole lot of choices. It's a little disingenuous to equate Bledsoe's situation (trade) with DeMullings (UNRESTRICTED FA). Save your froth for when I really act like a *****.

[The_Philster]

Save your froth for when I really act like a *****.

which'll happen soon enough ...trust me :snicker:

[SoCalBillsFan]

I am not saying the sky is falling...

BUT, I don't like the way our line looks right now. You've got to admit that there isn't a whole lot out there available right now, and we dont know what will become available. A secound round Tackle or guard isn't going to be an upgrade. I really really hope TD knows what he's doing.

And this whole "trust TD" thing every time someone has an opinion is getting old. We're fans, we're on a message board that's for giving opinions. Yes, I'm worried about the OL.

[Iehoshua]

Damn Demulling!
:mad:

[Mudflap1]

No need to get rabid there, flappy. Just saying that Bledsoe didn't have a whole lot of choices. It's a little disingenuous to equate Bledsoe's situation (trade) with DeMullings (UNRESTRICTED FA). Save your froth for when I really act like a *****.
No harm intended helmetguy, still at work on the West Coast and a bit wired, plus I believe my point has merit and isn't "disingenuous"...

Anyway, my point is that while Bledsoe needed to receive compensation in order to trade for him (1st round pick), it was basically open season in order to bid for him for anyone that was interested. He wasn't going to be brought back. Very similar to the situation that Henry's in now. No, they aren't technically unrestricted free agents, but frankly, sans the compensation, they might as well be.



I am not saying the sky is falling...

BUT, I don't like the way our line looks right now. You've got to admit that there isn't a whole lot out there available right now, and we dont know what will become available. A secound round Tackle or guard isn't going to be an upgrade. I really really hope TD knows what he's doing.

And this whole "trust TD" thing every time someone has an opinion is getting old. We're fans, we're on a message board that's for giving opinions. Yes, I'm worried about the OL.

Good points.

Jon

[Forward_Lateral]

That's it, fire TD now!!! He sucks!!! Who cares that he brought in Milloy, Spikes, Fletcher, McGahee, Shelton, Lee Evans, Jeff Posey, Villarial, Sam Adams, etc, etc, etc, etc, etc. He obviously has no ability to judge talent whatsoever. Fire him now!!!

I wish there was a smilie for sarcasm, because I'm sure some doorknobs are going to think I'm serious.

[SoCalBillsFan]

Being concerned about the OL and neglecting all of the great things TD has done and wanting him fired aren't the same thing ;)

[THATHURMANATOR]

Just trust him guys.

[Dicknoze69]

Look, I've liked lots of TD's moves, and I haven't liked some of them. But he's shown himself to be a capable judge of talent and of the salary cap.

I am worried about our Oline. I think it's one of the most important parts of a football team. But I'm sure he knows Oline is our big weakness, and he's doing everything short of being the Redskins to fix this problem. I'd bet we have almost all of our Oline already under contract.

Will we draft an Oline early? Absolutely, and it's possible this draft pick may play early and often.

Although I will be real interested to see what DeMulling signed for...I don't believe in giving big money to Guards.

[Tatonka]

i didnt even want demulling that bad.. but i am getting seriously close to freaking the hell out right now.. mainly because we have no options and they truely are happy with teague at LT, gandy the scrub, and tucker the "overachieve"...we really are down to the draft that apparently TD says he likes a lot of guy on the oline.. even though we dont have many picks to get them and a bunch of other needs to fill.

i make fun of the cliff divers most of the time.. but i feel like jumping right now.. so i am gonna go watch some tv and chill out before i just go ephin crazy.. this is just getting absurd how we ignore the most important part of the entire team... it really is almost comical..

lets take a quick look:
- we are severly overpaying our RT.. he is making more than the best LT in the league right now.. we could have 3 players the quality of villareal in exchange for his salary.. and i cant even say that williams is better than villareal right now.

- our RG and C (who is going to have to play LT because we have no one else) are both over 30..

- our LG is undecided (we have to choose between a giant douche or a **** sandwich there)

- we dont even have a LT on the roster right now (which isnt that bad, since it is not that crucial a position with a young qb.)

ok.. nevermind.. i cant watch tv.. i am going to jump off the cliff.. now that a piece of the sky just fell and hit me in the head..

[lordofgun]

For a Dicknoze, you're pretty level-headed.

[jpdex12]

I wouldn't worry too much about not getting DeMulling. If Donahoe really wanted him that bad, he would have. Just have some faith in what Donahoe is doing. I know none of us have any clue about whats going on behind the scenes and all but lets just wait and see. Lets not forget that we have arguably the best O line coach talking to Donahoe.Glad to see someone showing some patience in TD and McNally. They have decent resumes I hope they are onto something. This idle time just sucks in the dead periods that cycle through the off season. After the let down of the season (no playoffs) you're just anxious to get back in there and mix it up. It makes time seem to drag along and I bet a lot of fans are crazy nervous about us relying on draft picks to jump into the fire when we know very little about their play. It is a little more reassuring to see a legit FA get picked up that you have seen before and know they can play.

[Novacane]

I'm not worried. McFarland is gonna be a hall of famer :up:

[Dicknoze69]

How come this signing isn't all over the media outlets?

It's not even on the Lions front page

[jpdex12]

How come this signing isn't all over the media outlets?

It's not even on the Lions front pageMaybe because so many people got sick of waiting to hear where he landed!

[Carlton Bailey]

What a crap off-season this has been.

[Dozerdog]

I think everyone got spoiled after 3 straight active offseasons.


Bledsoe, Teague, Fletcher, Spikes, Milloy, Posey, Villarrial, and a lot of smaller signings- now that we take a season to catch our breath all of a sudden we are the siberia of the NFL.

Those past seasons we had 4-5 starting spots up for grabs every year. This time it's two....

[jpdex12]

I think everyone got spoiled after 3 straight active offseasons.


Bledsoe, Teague, Fletcher, Spikes, Milloy, Posey, Villarrial, and a lot of smaller signings- now that we take a season to catch our breath all of a sudden we are the siberia of the NFL.

Those past seasons we had 4-5 starting spots up for grabs every year. This time it's two....Valid point "dog with black lips" (avitar)! Sounds like a Native name.

Speaking of needing only two starters...when I looked at our depth chart on some website I cannot remember, I didn't feel that alarmed.
Teague/Gandy or Smith/Tucker/Villarial/Williams. Maybe I am nuts, but I think that we will hold our own this year. We will definitely have to grind it out.

[Ickybaluky]

How come this signing isn't all over the media outlets?

It's not even on the Lions front page

Here's a link (http://sports.espn.go.com/espn/wire?section=nfl&id=2014860) to the AP report.

[Mahdi]

i didnt even want demulling that bad.. but i am getting seriously close to freaking the hell out right now.. mainly because we have no options and they truely are happy with teague at LT, gandy the scrub, and tucker the "overachieve"...we really are down to the draft that apparently TD says he likes a lot of guy on the oline.. even though we dont have many picks to get them and a bunch of other needs to fill.

i make fun of the cliff divers most of the time.. but i feel like jumping right now.. so i am gonna go watch some tv and chill out before i just go ephin crazy.. this is just getting absurd how we ignore the most important part of the entire team... it really is almost comical..

lets take a quick look:
- we are severly overpaying our RT.. he is making more than the best LT in the league right now.. we could have 3 players the quality of villareal in exchange for his salary.. and i cant even say that williams is better than villareal right now.

- our RG and C (who is going to have to play LT because we have no one else) are both over 30..

- our LG is undecided (we have to choose between a giant douche or a **** sandwich there)

- we dont even have a LT on the roster right now (which isnt that bad, since it is not that crucial a position with a young qb.)

ok.. nevermind.. i cant watch tv.. i am going to jump off the cliff.. now that a piece of the sky just fell and hit me in the head..
I Agree. I dont see how there are people who are not worried with the current state of offairs on our O-line, while all the options that were there to remedy it are now gone except for the draft which still doesnt guarantee a starter. Our line was not good last year and now its worse. Even if we do add a great O-lineman through the draft the most we will be is back at where we were last year, because chances are no O-lineman is going to come in and be better than Jonas right away.

[HurryUpTom]

Glad to see someone showing some patience in TD and McNally. They have decent resumes I hope they are onto something. This idle time just sucks in the dead periods that cycle through the off season. After the let down of the season (no playoffs) you're just anxious to get back in there and mix it up. It makes time seem to drag along and I bet a lot of fans are crazy nervous about us relying on draft picks to jump into the fire when we know very little about their play. It is a little more reassuring to see a legit FA get picked up that you have seen before and know they can play.My concern with McNally is that while he is great at getting guys to overachieve, after his success in the Super Bowl season, he has consistenly been in charge of very poorly talented lines. From comments he made, he was one of the main reasons the Giants didn't bring too many free agents in the last few seasons (I remember him saying things like, "We had the funds but didn't like anyone available" or other similar sentiments). I'm hoping that he doesn't set the bar too high for people that he feels are worth signing and insteads deals with mid-to-late round picks who are great overachievers but can't compete with underachieving studs.

[helmetguy]

No offense taken, mudflap. Seriously, this kind of thing happens every year. There's one school of thought that adheres to the pre-cap, Jimmy Johnson model of building a team; that being to gobble up as many draft picks and keep the door revolving until you find the few who'll jump through hoops for their coach. Similar to the way Deacon Jones described his method of sacking the QB, "Tackle the whole backfield, then throw away everyone until you find the one with the ball." The draft has it's place, but it's not the only answer.

Another school of thought is the Dan Snyder, throw a ton of money out there and hope for the best. Year after year, Snyder makes splashes with glitzy signings, but has little to show for it.

What I've been seeing here on the boards is very similar to what happened last season. Then, as now, O-line was a major area of concern, particularly at both guard positions. Reuben Brown was on the way out, and Mike Pucillo was Gregg Williams' pet project at RG. The situation looked hopeless. When Chris Bober's name cropped up as a Free Agent, several here went absolutely nuts for the guy; a guy whose greatest attribute was that he played under McNally in New York. We did manage to land Villarial for a decent price, but the most common complaint about him was "he isn't a Bober." You can put DeMulling in that same category. Anyone we sign now, or draft, or even who is currently on the roster is, "sub-DeMulling." In short, the best guy for the job seems to be the first name recognized. It would be nice to sign every All-Pro available, but not very practical.

This is just one guy's opinion here but, with a quicker, shiftier back like McGahee (vs. the straight ahead power guy Henry) and a mobile young QB in Losman (as opposed to a strictly straight drop back, home run ball QB in Bledsoe) I would not be surprized to see a more agile offensive line than the road-grader type we needed for Henry and Bledsoe. If defenses have to protect the perimeter outside the tackles, they're not so apt to load up eight up front between the tacles and bull rush. Mike Mularkey has had a full year to see what he has at his disposal, as have his offensive assistants. Last year, it was a matter of months. 9-7 was remarkable for the first-year HC, considering the chaos that GW and Gilbride left behind. It isn't all on TD. Mularkey, I'm sure, has considerable input into who we get. How we look in March doesn't mean a thing. That's why I don't get too enamored with every FA "name" that visits Buffalo.

[Tatonka]

dozer.. those two spots up for grabs happen to be, other than our qb, two of the most important on the team.. they are the two that protect our qbs blind side.

[Dozerdog]

It's not even April yet. If the market had over-priced crap...do we sacrefice starters the year after next to bring them in?

[Tatonka]

What I've been seeing here on the boards is very similar to what happened last season. Then, as now, O-line was a major area of concern, particularly at both guard positions. Reuben Brown was on the way out, and Mike Pucillo was Gregg Williams' pet project at RG. The situation looked hopeless. When Chris Bober's name cropped up as a Free Agent, several here went absolutely nuts for the guy; a guy whose greatest attribute was that he played under McNally in New York. We did manage to land Villarial for a decent price, but the most common complaint about him was "he isn't a Bober." You can put DeMulling in that same category. Anyone we sign now, or draft, or even who is currently on the roster is, "sub-DeMulling." In short, the best guy for the job seems to be the first name recognized. It would be nice to sign every All-Pro available, but not very practical.



helmet.. what happened by not paying attention to the guard spot? we ended up starting lawrence smith, a practice team reject, who was god aweful.. and was a big part of the team starting off 0-4..

and the "sudden" success that we had at the end of the season.. do you think the offensive line would have looked that good if it was not the bengals? the rams? the seahawk? when we played good teams.. our offensive line still got man handled.. just tossed around like *****es.

are you really saying that because jp can run we dont need to have a good oline? are you really saying that because willis has no option but to run to the outside, that he is a shifty back that likes to run outside?

all i know is that i hope jp can run.. and i hope he can take a hit.. because he will be taking plenty of them.. and i hope willis's knee is ok too.. because he will be taking plenty of sidelines shots like last season when he got sent into the camera cart.

:up:

[Tatonka]

It's not even April yet. If the market had over-priced crap...do we sacrefice starters the year after next to bring them in?

womack signed a 5 million dollar deal and is an upgrade over every person that is even be considered for the left side of our line.

yeah.. 5 mill was just crazy money.. vincent signed for less than 3 mill a year.. he also is better than anyone being considered for the left side of the line.

but we will see i guess...

we will never be accused of overpaying for olineman.. oh wait.. we did overpay for trey teague.. one of the highest paid centers in the league.. and mike williams, who makes more than any LT in the league.

you would think that if you have to overpay a little for some olineman.. it might be a decent investment.. as opposed to having to pay a qb and rb first round money to sit on IR.. which is gonna end up happening if we keep trying to plug in "lawrence smith" for every hole we have on the line.

take a look at our schedule.. we dont get any gimme games like the last half of our season.. i am tired of spinning our tires.. this team will be luck to finish .500 this season just based on the schedule.. let alone having a revolving door LT and LG.

[HurryUpTom]

It's not even April yet. If the market had over-priced crap...do we sacrefice starters the year after next to bring them in?
I think the overpriced crap is what we've assembled: Williams, Villerial, and Teague. I haven't heard the numbers that DeMulling signed for yet, so I don't know if we can put him in that category.

[The_Philster]

and the "sudden" success that we had at the end of the season.. do you think the offensive line would have looked that good if it was not the bengals? the rams? the seahawk? when we played good teams.. our offensive line still got man handled.. just tossed around like *****es.couple of points
1...Tucker was in the lineup in the latter part of the season..and did a decent job
2...line chemistry isn't built overnight. If you put a line together in the preseason I can almost guarantee that their performance will improve over the course of a season. Which means they'll be better in the latter half of the season over the earlier parts

[Tatonka]

I think the overpriced crap is what we've assembled: Williams, Villerial, and Teague. I haven't heard the numbers that DeMulling signed for yet, so I don't know if we can put him in that category.

:rofl:

[Tatonka]

couple of points
1...Tucker was in the lineup in the latter part of the season..and did a decent job
2...line chemistry isn't built overnight. If you put a line together in the preseason I can almost guarantee that their performance will improve over the course of a season. Which means they'll be better in the latter half of the season over the earlier parts

tucker got in because smith sucked so badly.. but tucker wasnt good enough to beat him out in camp.

and it is funny how the line "gelled" and tucker did "decent" once we started playing garbage teams that had horrible defenses and/or losing records.

how did tucker look against pitts backups?

[Slim]

wait a second this isnt a parachute its a brick

[Tatonka]

wait a second this isnt a parachute its a brick


:roflmao:

that is what i feel like right now...

i am in the mood to flip out.. and the glass is somewhere between half empty and bone dry right now.

[Tatonka]

i am sure i will feel much better when TD trades for shelton and moves up to grab baas in the draft.. but the odds of that happening are about as close as drew bledsoe leading the cowgirls to the superbowl.. and actually winning.

[The_Philster]

tucker got in because smith sucked so badly.. but tucker wasnt good enough to beat him out in camp.

and it is funny how the line "gelled" and tucker did "decent" once we started playing garbage teams that had horrible defenses and/or losing records.

how did tucker look against pitts backups?This conspiracy theory stupidity is tiring..you know football better than this...I'm sure of it. If the garbage teams played us early in the season and the stronger teams in the latter part of the season....there'd be some other stupid story why we played well against the stronger teams.

as far as Pittsburgh, were there any players on the team that didn't suck that day? :huh:

[HurryUpTom]

couple of points
1...Tucker was in the lineup in the latter part of the season..and did a decent job
2...line chemistry isn't built overnight. If you put a line together in the preseason I can almost guarantee that their performance will improve over the course of a season. Which means they'll be better in the latter half of the season over the earlier parts
I think Tucker is like Marcus Price - they are both really good backups who are suitable to get you through some slow times. However, if they're starting you are in trouble. I thought for a backup, he played well when he started, but not for a starter.

[The_Philster]

I think Tucker is like Marcus Price - they are both really good backups who are suitable to get you through some slow times. However, if they're starting you are in trouble. I thought for a backup, he played well when he started, but not for a starter.

I agree to an extent...I think he could improve a lot though..and could be a valuable starter...he has that nasty streak that a lot of the great O-linemen have had and he's versatile. I'd prefer someone better at LG...and would love to have him as the primary backup at all 3 interior positions but if he's gotta start, we could do worse

[helmetguy]

I'm not saying that at all, Tonk. We do need a good line. No question about it. Not to be a name dropper or anything, but Ritcher was saying the same thing last season on his Wall of Fame day. Ritcher's line wasn't exactly what you would call imposing. But they were able to spread a defense laterally, which opened passing lanes between the tackles, as well as cutback lanes for Thomas. McGahee has that same cutback ability as Thomas at the same point in their respective careers.

If the season started tomorrow, I'd be sweating it big time. Being that this only March, there's plenty of time to find the right guys to do the job; guys who fit the style and approach that McNally, Clements and Mularkey have in mind. Where Free Agency is concerned, it's quite similar to retail sales. You have the fools who'll pay full price for a pair of golf shorts in January, only to complain in June that they could have bought three of the same thing if they had been patient.

[Tatonka]

This conspiracy theory stupidity is tiring..you know football better than this...I'm sure of it. If the garbage teams played us early in the season and the stronger teams in the latter part of the season....there'd be some other stupid story why we played well against the stronger teams.

as far as Pittsburgh, were there any players on the team that didn't suck that day? :huh:

phil.. there is no conspiracy theory.. the defenses we played late in the season were not good.. therefore, it made our average at best oline look good.. it seems pretty simple to me.

when we played good defenses.. like NE.. like Pitt.. our offensive line looked about as good as it should have..

we have to have a line that can stand up to the likes of Pitt and NE.. if we ever have any aspirations of actually winning a playoff game.. because these are the teams that we will have to play. and our schedule next season is much tougher than this year.. so the weakness of our offensive line will show.. and it will ruin another season where we could have been contenders due to our stellar defense and special teams.

i just really hope that it doesnt cost us JPs confidence once he starts getting killed. i dont want to watch the destruction of a young qb until he turns into tim couch and gets handshy like a beat dog.

[Tatonka]

I'm not saying that at all, Tonk. We do need a good line. No question about it. Not to be a name dropper or anything, but Ritcher was saying the same thing last season on his Wall of Fame day. Ritcher's line wasn't exactly what you would call imposing. But they were able to spread a defense laterally, which opened passing lanes between the tackles, as well as cutback lanes for Thomas. McGahee has that same cutback ability as Thomas at the same point in their respective careers.

If the season started tomorrow, I'd be sweating it big time. Being that this only March, there's plenty of time to find the right guys to do the job; guys who fit the style and approach that McNally, Clements and Mularkey have in mind. Where Free Agency is concerned, it's quite similar to retail sales. You have the fools who'll pay full price for a pair of golf shorts in January, only to complain in June that they could have bought three of the same thing if they had been patient.


excellent post..

i just dont know where those guys your talking about .. those ones that we are gonna find to fit the team.. are gonna come from?

is it unheard of that a rookie olineman could step up? no.. is it unreasonable to expect it or have your line depend on it? yeah..

and we are talking about two hugely important spots.. LT and LG.

or teague.. he FINALLY shows he can be a center.. overpaid at center.. but still a decent center.. after 3 years.. so what are we gonna do? move him to LT.. a position that he gave up 11 sacks from last time he played it.. and that was on a damn good offensive line with a relatively mobile qb..

i am scared to death and i just dont see alot of options opening up.. i just wish i knew that TD sees that the line has got to improve.. but i really really think he is ok with what we got.. i can see him just thinking that we need some rookies to compete and add depth. and that is beyond disturbing.

[HurryUpTom]

I'm not too worried about JP's confidence. I think that sort of talk is blown out of proportion. To name a few that have come back from rough starts: Bradshaw had a horrible start in Pitts, Brees started off poorly, and Young was in no-mans land for a long time. I think a QB either has confidence or doesn't. If he loses it because other people play poorly, I don't think he's a good candidate for being a QB anyway.

What I'm more concerned about is that the poor line will lead JP to develop a habit of taking off from the pocket immediately. He has the mobility to do so and get away with it a bit, but I can't think of a single run-first QB that has won a Super Bowl. You need a pocket passer to win. That doesn't mean that mobility doesn't have it's place (Young, Elway, and Favre are some that come to mind), but you've got to be able to play in the pocket to succeed. Otherwise, it's too easy to defend with a good D (man-to-man, blitz, and keep a spy).

[Sportsuser101]

From what I saw with McNally last year I trust him and his input. I would have wanted DeMulling but if they felt he wasn't worth the price then thats fine. I'd rather not overpay and get ourself screwed if they didn't think he was the right fit.

[phinfanjt34]

Not whining - just facts.

1. Always impact Oline there at 52.
2. Many, many, many starting OT get released after the draft.
3. Clements "Mr Ego" will happily sign a lowball offer from TD.
4. TD's the best GM in the NFL, record be damned, just ask all his former co-workers at ESPN.
#4 is hilarious. What has he done that you guys have so much confidence in him? Is it his losing record as Bill GM? His 5 years without a playoff apperance? His hiring of Gregg Willaims? Or his greatest move, the trade for Bledsoe? I'm not on here to bash (but feel free), I just dont understand the "faith" you all have in him. Is he a horrible GM? No. But is he a great or "the best" GM? Not even close. I would actually say since hes been the Bills Gm hes closer to the worst Gm in the league than the best. Ok go ahead bring it on. Tell me about The Ricky trade, or giving up a 2nd round pick for a third stringer. Vent away :peace:

[helmetguy]

To be honest with you, Tonk, I have no idea where they're going to come from, either. What mitigates my concern though, is the fact that this is really Mularkey's team this year. The successes of last year were modest, in and of themselves. In the context of the immediate aftermath of the Williams/Gilbride fiasco, they provided some semblance of hope. This year, it isn't Mularker and Company cleaning up the mess Williams left behind. When you look at it, our vaunted #2 Defense feasted off the same sucky teams our offense had moderate success against. While the offense was almost completely new (in style, if not substance) the defensive approach was virtually unchanged since its inception four years ago. The biggest difference I saw (aside from Bobby April's phenomenal ST work) was a coaching staff looking for the right type of player to fit their particular approach, rather than-like Williams/Gilbride-forcing square pegs into round holes. In a Clements/Mularkey style offense, Teague might very well flourish at LT, similar to John Fina. Where Fina struggled (later in his career) was when they "narrowed up" the K-Gun formations. Looking back, alot of the knocks on Fina were that he was "not Wolford." In the end, I trust this coaching staff a lot more than I ever did their predecessor. Who knows, maybe TD does to?

[Dicknoze69]

#4 is hilarious. What has he done that you guys have so much confidence in him? Is it his losing record as Bill GM? His 5 years without a playoff apperance? His hiring of Gregg Willaims? Or his greatest move, the trade for Bledsoe? I'm not on here to bash (but feel free), I just dont understand the "faith" you all have in him. Is he a horrible GM? No. But is he a great or "the best" GM? Not even close. I would actually say since hes been the Bills Gm hes closer to the worst Gm in the league than the best. Ok go ahead bring it on. Tell me about The Ricky trade, or giving up a 2nd round pick for a third stringer. Vent away :peace:

Buddy, I believe his post was sarcasm or a joke

[Sportsuser101]

#4 is hilarious. What has he done that you guys have so much confidence in him? Is it his losing record as Bill GM? His 5 years without a playoff apperance? His hiring of Gregg Willaims? Or his greatest move, the trade for Bledsoe? I'm not on here to bash (but feel free), I just dont understand the "faith" you all have in him. Is he a horrible GM? No. But is he a great or "the best" GM? Not even close. I would actually say since hes been the Bills Gm hes closer to the worst Gm in the league than the best. Ok go ahead bring it on. Tell me about The Ricky trade, or giving up a 2nd round pick for a third stringer. Vent away :peace:
I liked the Bledsoe trade and would have still done it to this day. It brought the Bills franchise back to life. It brought in some excitement which brought in Sam Adams, Takeo Spikes and directly brought in Lawyer Milloy. Now if you don't think that Drew Bledsoe coming here didn't have something to do with these guys coming in here then your fooling yourself. So let me ask you guys this.. would you rather have Drew Bledsoe, Sam Adams, Takeo Spikes and Lawyer Milloy or whichever free agent QB that was available, Ron Edwards, Keith Newman and Coy Wire. I know which group I would like to have. Drew Bledsoe also brought us Willis McGahee. Because chances are whoever was at QB for us wouldn't have given Price that many yards which in turn gave him a big market which gave us a 1st round pick, Willis McGahee. And what did we give up for that? Ty Warren. Look on the other side of it as well and thanks to Drew Bledsoe we have JP Losman.

For the record I agree with the Bledsoe release but to say it was a bad trade after what he brought to us is just mind boggling. I would gladly trade Ty Warren and Peerless Price for Drew Bledsoe, Lawyer Milloy, Sam Adams, Takeo Spikes and Willis McGahee. Not sure about you.

[Kerr]

fuuuuuuuuuudge!

[Tatonka]

To be honest with you, Tonk, I have no idea where they're going to come from, either. What mitigates my concern though, is the fact that this is really Mularkey's team this year. The successes of last year were modest, in and of themselves. In the context of the immediate aftermath of the Williams/Gilbride fiasco, they provided some semblance of hope. This year, it isn't Mularker and Company cleaning up the mess Williams left behind. When you look at it, our vaunted #2 Defense feasted off the same sucky teams our offense had moderate success against. While the offense was almost completely new (in style, if not substance) the defensive approach was virtually unchanged since its inception four years ago. The biggest difference I saw (aside from Bobby April's phenomenal ST work) was a coaching staff looking for the right type of player to fit their particular approach, rather than-like Williams/Gilbride-forcing square pegs into round holes. In a Clements/Mularkey style offense, Teague might very well flourish at LT, similar to John Fina. Where Fina struggled (later in his career) was when they "narrowed up" the K-Gun formations. Looking back, alot of the knocks on Fina were that he was "not Wolford." In the end, I trust this coaching staff a lot more than I ever did their predecessor. Who knows, maybe TD does to?

i can not believe you just made me feel better, helmet... seriously.. holy ****.

i really dont know what to say.. other than.. i feel better now.. :rofl:

[Ickybaluky]

According to the Detriot Free Press (http://www.freep.com/sports/lions/lions17e_20050317.htm), Demulling received a 2-year/$4.45M deal. No mention of signing bonus.

[don137]

My guess is Buffalo will draft a tackle in round 2 or 3 this year. He will start at LG this season getting acclimated to the NFL with the foresight to potentially move him to LT next year. Teague, whose contract ends at the end of this year, will start at LT this year. The guy Buffalo drafts in round 2 or 3 will move from LG to LT next year. If he craps the bed or is not ready to take the LT job the Bills will re-sign Teague or look elsewhere for a LT.

[Tatonka]

According to the Detriot Free Press (http://www.freep.com/sports/lions/lions17e_20050317.htm), Demulling received a 2-year/$4.45M deal. No mention of signing bonus.


ok.. where the hell is helmetguy.. because i am ephin pissed again.. that is less than villarial is making.. and we could get 4 of demulling for one mike williams..

:mad:

[HurryUpTom]

It's not even April yet. If the market had over-priced crap...do we sacrefice starters the year after next to bring them in?
2 years for less than 5 mil does not sound like over-priced crap to me.

[Tatonka]

especially when mike williams cap hit is 17 million over the next two years.

[Earthquake Enyart]

The line stunk when TD got here.

He drafted MW. Signed Teague and Villareal as FA's, drafted JJ and Price, and have had crap at LG.

TD got every one of the players we have now, and the line still is average at best. :down:

[helmetguy]

Remember, we had G.Williams and his "not just coaches, but TEACHERS" for three of those years.

Oh, and sorry I can't cheer you up this time, Tonk. I just started my second cup of coffee, meaning I'm still half asleep! All I can say is, wait and see what happens when the spring mercahndise goes on sale?

[Tatonka]

:chair:

[Philagape]

I agree with Tonk. I think it's safe to say that we are not going to have a SB-caliber OL in 2005. The question is, will our line be better or worse than last year? It's headed toward worse.
We are now pinning our OL hopes on unknown factors ... the draft, preseason cuts, etc., because tight now there is no decent LT on the roster.
The one bright side is that we have QB who can run and a RB who can improvise on the outside. One reason we started poorly last year is that we had a QB and RB who needed a good o-line to do anything. Of course the OL is still important, but at least we have some escape artists now. We'll need them.

[Michael82]

According to the Detriot Free Press (http://www.freep.com/sports/lions/lions17e_20050317.htm), Demulling received a 2-year/$4.45M deal. No mention of signing bonus.
Why the **** did you have to show me that?!?!?! AHHHH!!! I feel like going down to One Bills Drive and personally kicking the crap out of Tom Donahoe. Every single guard that was out there besides Wahle and Rivera came at a great price. What the hell are we doing letting them all slide right by us? DeMulling for less than $2.5 million a year? That's perfect. Why the hell couldn't TD do that?!?! :mad: :curse:

[Sportsuser101]

Why the **** did you have to show me that?!?!?! AHHHH!!! I feel like going down to One Bills Drive and personally kicking the crap out of Tom Donahoe. Every single guard that was out there besides Wahle and Rivera came at a great price. What the hell are we doing letting them all slide right by us? DeMulling for less than $2.5 million a year? That's perfect. Why the hell couldn't TD do that?!?! :mad: :curse:
On a side note we resigned Price to a 2 year $5m contract.
















:jk:

[Michael82]

On a side note we resigned Price to a 2 year $5m contract.
















:jk:
I just hope we re-sign him. :mad:

I'd be a little calmer right now.

[Sportsuser101]

I just hope we re-sign him. :mad:

I'd be a little calmer right now.
I don't we will. I just think TD is looking somewhere else. I think if he was going to sign him he would have already.

BTW Jim McNally was named starting LT.

[helmetguy]

I just hope we re-sign him. :mad:

I'd be a little calmer right now.
Nah, Mikey. You'd still find something to spin you up!

[mysticsoto]

How old is price? It looks like they are making a concerted effort to go young. They might be starting to see that we have alot of older veterans and we need to focus on injecting some young blood into our team...

[Mr.Reality]

2 years for less than 5 mil does not sound like over-priced crap to me.
Woo hoo!

Yee haw!

This is a good signing for the Lions. Millen's actually pulled off a few good moves the last year or so, after two disasterous years. This one is a nice, reasonalbe move.

Detroit's guards suck. They were looking at having to draf maybe two guards. Now they have a little draft wiggle room.

Nice, hole-filling, economical signing.

[FischInMich]

Why the **** did you have to show me that?!?!?! AHHHH!!! I feel like going down to One Bills Drive and personally kicking the crap out of Tom Donahoe. Every single guard that was out there besides Wahle and Rivera came at a great price. What the hell are we doing letting them all slide right by us? DeMulling for less than $2.5 million a year? That's perfect. Why the hell couldn't TD do that?!?! :mad: :curse:


Is it too far fetched to think that maybe DeMulling wanted to play for a team with some upside?

[Crisis]

If you mean a team that has never been to the Superbowl, and had a losing record in a weak conference/division, I guess so.

I'm not too worried about our OL. We still have half a year until the season starts.

[Mahdi]

Is it too far fetched to think that maybe DeMulling wanted to play for a team with some upside?
The lions were 6-10 last year. Ranked 22nd in Defense 24th on offense. What upside do the lions have that the Bills dont??? The Bills are only a decent o-line away from a playoff appearance. The Lions have good, young talent on their Offense but so do the Bills and our defense is much better.

[FischInMich]

The Lions have good, young talent on their Offense but so do the Bills and our defense is much better.


How much better is that defense? Yes, the Bills defense is better ... I'll make no mistake about that, however ...

As of now Detroit lines up:

RDE J. Hall
DT S. Rogers (best DT in the NFC hands down)
DT D. Wilkinson
LDE C. Redding

SOLB B. Bailey
MLB E. Holmes.
WOLB T. Lehman

RCB D. Bly
LCB F. Bryant
FS B. Marion
SS K. Kennedy

Pick up a stud DE in the draft, and an heir apparent to Holmes, and this unit suddenly doesn't shape up too awfully.


The whole point of the post was, Detroit is young and fast at several key positions ... has made nice FA moves the past 2 seasons ... and had good drafts the past 2 seasons ... they're a team poised to breakout ... surely this is a deciding factor for players looking for a place to latch on for a few years ...

Plenty of questions to answer, to be sure ... but stay healthy, and Detroit is right in the thick of things in the NFCN, and should make their first PO appearance in about 5 or 6 years.

[Dicknoze69]

DT S. Rogers (best DT in the NFC hands down)


Did you conveniently forget about Kevin Williams, Kris Jenkins, and possibly Corey Simon ?

[Tatonka]

obviously he forgot.

[Sportsuser101]

How much better is that defense? Yes, the Bills defense is better ... I'll make no mistake about that, however ...

As of now Detroit lines up:

RDE J. Hall
DT S. Rogers (best DT in the NFC hands down)
DT D. Wilkinson
LDE C. Redding

SOLB B. Bailey
MLB E. Holmes.
WOLB T. Lehman

RCB D. Bly
LCB F. Bryant
FS B. Marion
SS K. Kennedy

Pick up a stud DE in the draft, and an heir apparent to Holmes, and this unit suddenly doesn't shape up too awfully.


The whole point of the post was, Detroit is young and fast at several key positions ... has made nice FA moves the past 2 seasons ... and had good drafts the past 2 seasons ... they're a team poised to breakout ... surely this is a deciding factor for players looking for a place to latch on for a few years ...

Plenty of questions to answer, to be sure ... but stay healthy, and Detroit is right in the thick of things in the NFCN, and should make their first PO appearance in about 5 or 6 years.
And yet with all that last year the Lions were 1 of the oldest teams in the NFL.

[jamze132]

I'm not worried. McFarland is gonna be a hall of famer :up:
I couldn't agree more. I mean this guy is a stud.
:posrep: