tom webster
-
Posts
7,976 -
Joined
-
Last visited
Content Type
Profiles
Forums
Events
Posts posted by tom webster
-
-
Not a death blow. Just makes it harder to get good.
12 teams make the playoffs.
But the same 12 teams don't consistently make the playoffs so by your own definition only 7 or 8 quarterbacks qualify as good enough
-
This elite word keeps getting tossed about recklessly. You need a top 12 QB to be in the hunt year after year. I'm not sure that equates to elite.
Flacco and Wilson are top 12.
I'm not sure what your list may be exactly but I know at least four were drafted after the first round and two were drafted in the bottom half of the first so if you are right and EJ isn't top 12 it's not like trading away the number one pick is a death blow.
And by the way, why top 12 and not top 10?
-
Top Talent Quarterbacks beget winning in the NFL. The way the rules are structured and enforced right now, there is literally no other relevant differentiator between annual playoff teams and also rans. The big difference between the NFL and the NHL is there are other ways to fill that need than losing. Top draft picks get traded much more often, and top talent quarterbacks do occasionally become available. Improving the rest of the team might move the bills from 6 to 9 wins. Improving the quarterback could move them to 11.
I'm going to repeat the first two sentences because they are so important:
Top Talent Quarterbacks beget winning in the NFL. The way the rules are structured and enforced right now, there is literally no other relevant differentiator between annual playoff teams and also rans.
I keep hearing this and in not sure I disagree but the fact of the matter is what I consider the two best teams in the league(SF and Sea) both win with defense and running games supplemented with decent quarterbacking from a 2nd and 3rd round pick.
Also, the last three Super Bowls were won by Eli, Flacco and Wilson, not exactly elite QB's.
-
If you believe legend, Scotty Bowman thought it was the 1979/1980 team and their failure led directly to Rick Martin getting the boot.
-
Both TBD and Wookie did well but TBD not only didn't call the buy out, he predicted against it. Some of his next season moves could come to fruition but the contest is about the off-season.
As for Wookie, not sure what could happen by opening day to tilt things in his favor but I reserve the right to award a second prize if anything comes out of left field by opening day. I will be choosing my tickets in the coming days and I wanted the winner to have a chance to request a specific game.
I am open to suggestions on how I can do this better next year.
-
So any consensus from the group? Is Rakish the winner by default? Any thoughts?
-
Brees was very good his first year as a starter considering it was his first year playing. Especially for those days... His second year was downright brutal, though. The year they drafted Rivers was when he turned it up, but it was too late.
First,
In pretty sure you were around 8 in Brees first year.
Second,
I'm pretty sure he started one game his rookie year.
-
So I put my whip on Craigslist.
http://rochester.craigslist.org/cto/4597166253.html
It's been just over 24 hours with no contact. I've sold several vehicles through Craigslist and almost always got an immediate response. I did notice a much slower reaction to my solstice which was 5-10 time the price of most of my vehicles.
There is a website to go through just for this sort of thing but they charge anywhere from $100-$500, based on level of advertising you want. This is getting to be annoying.
In my opinion , 582 miles per month may be the big drawback.
-
Ignoring the bills for a second, from a sabres perspective, would tp buying the bills be a good thing, negative thing or neutral?
Some positives include an nfl team bringing in huge revenues he could possibly redirect to the sabres. However money hasn't been an issue so far. Negative includes this taking his full attention away from the sabres organization.
In spite of what some people think, the Sabres are not his only business or private interest. The Bills will just be another part of his portfolio.
-
Well, he spent half the season in Rochester last year, so TM and TN didn't think he was ready. And I think they signed Benoit at least partially because they aren't sure he'll be ready this year.
If last year was about playing your best players Pysyk, Risto and Larsson(?) would have been year. You can't keep telling a guy whose done all you asked to take one for the team and they know it. It cost these guys a lot of money to play for AHL money. There is no way they ask Mark to do that again. He was the good soldier last year and now is his time
-
It's just a guess at this point, but I think Risto will be ahead of Pysyk by the time the season starts -- so the question will be whether Pysyk is good enough to put Weber or Benoit into the #7 slot.
There is no way Pysyk ends up in Rochester this year. He will be one of the top 4 guys.
-
I actually agree with Paul Hamilton on this; Risto was originally pissed about being sent down, but hit it off with a vet D-man down there. He got humbled by the experience and looked much better when he returned.
Could he have done the same in Buffalo? I'm uncertain, I think he needed that humbling experience and the sheer difference in situation likely helped foster his improvement. It may have also helped due to his experience in the Finnish league and having a closer skill jump to allow him to adjust his game. Thus when he returned he had grown up a lot, was more confident, and had a sense of accomplishment.
I don't deny that it could have helped. My point is that no one knows. Peyton Manning and Troy Aikman were destroyed and beat to hell their rookie years playing on historically bad teams yet survived. Other guys folded under similar scenarios. There is no tried and true absolute method. That's my point. Ultimately, what happens to Grigo will in my opinion have little to do with how he was handled his first couple years and have everything to do with what kind of man and player he really is.
-
I have no idea if Grigo is going to develop into a top center or not. As a fan I hope he does for obvious reasons.
However, this continued assertion that his handling has set him back is pure speculation. There is no iron clad proof that handling him differently would have resulted in anything except him dominating Juniors and thinking he's all that. In fact, his apparent change in attitude may show that he was handled perfectly and the desired result is forthcoming.
Similarly, I hate how Paul Hamilton continues to assert that sending Risto down to Rochester had such a great effect. What proof is there that he wouldn't have developed the same if he played all year in Buffalo.
-
I know he's viewed as an AHL-for-lifer, but I wonder if the thinness on D will lead to JGL getting a look at some point.
Apparently it's now just JL.
-
He and Brian Flynn represent everything wrong with the Sabres the last 2 years. No talent, no size, no potential.
I respectfully disagree. In the new NHL, guys like Flynn are just what you need in your 11th through 13th forward and Rudy is the perfect 6th or 7th defenseman. The fact that they were asked to be more last year was what was indicative of a lack of 1 through 9 and 1 through 4 talent.
-
Thanks--I wanted to see the smaller print
Looking to change careers and become a mechanic in Toronto or looking to rent a truck?
-
Can we definitively say that at this point? Currently Kane a Toews make a respectable $6.3M but certainly not anything that will break the bank. The new contracts are incredibly rich. They've been able to achieve what you stated up to this point but I really wonder how they will do in the future.
Frankly, I am waiting to see if teams like the Ducks and Blackhawks get handcuffed by these contracts. You don't expect players like Getzlaf, Perry, Kane, and Toews to decline too much but it's hard to say. Even then, can you afford enough talent around those two to make it work. You might get lucky with some of the young guys you bring in but eventually there won't be money available for them.
It may be the cap keeps going up and eliminates that concern per se, but I'll be curious to see how it plays out before I call them a model. Up to this point I would definitely call them a model however.
I understand where you are coming from but ever since Andy Messersmith signed the first uber rich free agent deal I have been hearing how free agency would end pro sports as we know it. When salary caps were established, the next battle cry, championed by LQ, was how teams would implode with all these rich contracts and the smart teams would be waiting in the weeds to scoop up all these players that teams could no longer afford.
Still waiting.....
-
Outside of being a lopsided trade, this was the most blurred trade of all time. Very few people remember it was really Christian Ruuttu traded for Hasek.
Actually I would argue that most people think it was Ruuttu for Hasek.
-
Why did they surprise you? We agree Matt Moulson is a significantly better player than Ott right?
That was my thought as well when I read the post.
-
? link
I have posted a couple links previously. right now i have no desire to research again but more then one reputable person has reported this.
The new TV contracts alone will push it up $5 to $6 million. This years cap was held down by player concerns over escrow payments.
-
Headline says 8 years, but the linked article says Kane and Toews each signed 5 year extensions for $31.5. Can't tell whether it is 5 or 8
Their first extensions were 5 for $31.5M. These are 8 for $84M.
-
25% of the cap in 2 guys.
And totally worth it.
With the cap expected to be around $75M, next year, it should be closer to 28% of the cap in the first year, but still well worth it. The Blackhawks are proving that you can keep your stars and still compete for the Cup.
While four lines is the way everyone is going its really about 5 to 7 stars, 4 forwards, 2 defenseman and a decent goalie. Managing the rest of the roster is just a matter of being to identify talent, get value added contracts and knowing when to move those assets for other assets or promote them for one of your top 6.
-
Kane and Toews signed for 8 years....
Good for him. Maybe Patrick is growing up a bit. Excellent news for the team as well.
-
"Historically bad" is exaggerating, but I don't think the loss of Pettine can be underestimated. This team was built for the 3-4. Before Kiko went down he was the only 3-down linebacker or starting caliber 4-3 OLB on the entire team... Now you're going to ask a group of guys who can't play 3 downs and shouldn't be starting to do both of those things consistently? Yikes. Teams will fly over this defense consistently.
You are putting way too much stock into schemes. LB's are going the way of FB's. Teams play nickle and dime over 60% of the time now. That plus the fact that Schwartz was Pettine before Pettine was Pettine and I'm not overly worried about the D.
In the end, the only thing that will matter is if Manuel is what I think he is or what you think he is.
Buffalo Bills 2014
in The Aud Club
Posted
And that is the crux of our disagreement. You have made up your mind, I still think the jury is out.