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Since the first game is officially over I'd like to share what, of all the exciting moments of the Seattle game, stuck out the most to me. Marcus Stroud. In my opinion, the man has taken our defense from gutsy to stifling almost single handedly.

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Amazingly, considering the view of Ashton Youboty at the end of last year, the kid has been able to fight his way back into a Nickel role in the Bills secondary. Considering that with James cut and Corner and McKelvin clearly not yet ready to get anything more than dime duties, I think its fair to have an intriguing discussion on the future of this always promising but not always performing corner.

Following the NFL draft and up until now, it has been a view of many on this blog that by years end Jabari Greer would have his starting position wrestled away from him by Leodis McKelvin.  With Youboty impressing both coaches and fans, dare we ask if perhaps he will be the one, if anybody, to steal Greer's job? Youboty is still very young, very athletic, and should have a leg up on McKelvin and Corner in terms of understanding the defense. If a light has clicked on for the kid, could we finally see the talent we were hoping for when he was drafted? Of course, McKelvin was drafted 11th overall for a reason and that has to count for something, as coaches and the front office will want to reap the benefits of such a lofty investment.

Finally, Jabari Greer can not be discounted from finishing the year as the starter as well. While many were impressed by his hustle and never say die playing style, many more fans were equally eager to see him leave the starting lineup.

In my opinion, the battle at cornerback is far from over. Round 1 has been decided and Youboty has emerged as the surprise victor but I think we will continue to see a struggle at the position until the end of the year. Who do you all think will be starting the last game of the year?

Usually the Madden ratings are a great way to gauge how the average football fan views each team and player based on limited exposure to the game and a superficial knowledge of teams that aren't their own.

Here's the link: http://www.sportsgamer.com/games/madden09/roster/team/bills/

Some interesting things:

Our offensive line is rated quite well. Peters at 97 and Dockery at 91? Fowler and Butler are rated the same and the game seems to respect our lines ability to run block way more than pass block. 3 guys in the 90s in run block (two at 89 and 88) and only one in the 90s in pass blocking.

Pozluszny and DiGiorgio are apparently equally good in the eyes of the folks at EA Sports, I find that a bit strange

Donte Whitner is rated a 92! I had no idea that football fans thought he was that good or think he will be that good this year. Maybe it was his guarantee? Ko Simpson and George Wilson are rated the same thing interestingly.

Somehow Brian Moorman is only an 89? I find that a bit low.

Just thought it could be worth some banter

Wow. I knew it was coming but I'm still shocked. I hope all of you who say he won't pose a problem for us are right. To me, with an improved O-line, I don't like Favre throwing the ball to Lavurenaus Coles and Jerricho Cotchery for one or two or even three years. Oh boy...I hope our secondary is ready, our pass rush cxan get to the QB, and we are ready to put up points, because I feel like Brett will.

After recently buying Bills tickets to the game at the Jets this December I was expecting to see the Bills defense pick apart Chad Pennington or Kellen Clemens. Now, it seems I may be getting more than I bargained for as the recent spate of Brett Favre news is saying the Jets have become the front-runner in a trade for the Hall of Famer because they are offering a better deal than the Buccaneers. I know we've discussed this before but this is coming down to the last 24 hour cycle before a Favre trade is expected (as he needs to be at training camp this week). How much more of a contender can we expect the Jets to be if they do indeed pick up Brett and is our secondary, in my opinion the weakest link in our defense, up to the challenge of stopping him and the not so bad Jets receivers.

Here is a snippet from rotoworld.com regarding the potential deal:

According to his agent, Brett Favre is willing to play for both the Jets and the Buccaneers. Favre appears resigned to a trade and hopes one is completed by Thursday, so he can get into training camp with his new team. His agent said that he could not see a scenario that involved Favre not playing football this season. The Jets may now be the frontrunners if they are truly offering a much better package, although we're sure that Favre will have a voice in the final decision.

It seems to me that even if the Bucs did win the Favre deal, that would probably end up sending Garcia to the Jets anyway.

Editor's Note, by Brian Galliford: This excellent article by Rumbler "poz" sheds some new light - thanks to some superb research - on Lee Evans' true value to the Buffalo Bills.  Thanks, poz - ripping good read.  End Note

After our recent discussion on Buffalo Bills WR Lee Evans and a lucrative contract extension I feel compelled to continue an exchange of ideas, specifically because I found that many question not only if Lee Evans deserves a large contract but also if he is a number one wide receiver. Personally, I am of the opinion that Evans not only deserves a top 10 contract but also that he is a true number #1 receiver in this league and with the right quarterback, is an elite player at his position. This FanPost will hope to provide a clear representation of my argument in this regard.

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As Bills news is tough to come by these days, I thought I would throw out for discussion some Buffalo observations made over at rotoworld.com

Exhibit A

"Bills RE Aaron Schobel could see more one-on-one opportunities following the team's addition of DT Marcus Stroud. Stroud will play nose in Buffalo and be asked to fill two gaps. Schobel got more offensive attention and had a career-low 6.5 sacks in 2007. If Stroud stays healthy, Schobel should easily record double-digit QB takedowns."

Exhibit B

"Coach Dick Jauron confirmed that all the Bills' depth chart spots at tight end are up for grabs. Coming off knee surgery, Robert Royal has to earn his starting job back. "It's unsettled," Jauron said. The Bills anticipate Royal being 100% by the start of training camp, but he'll be pushed hard by Derek Schouman and Derek Fine."

I find the key word from Exhibit A being that rotoworld believes that a healthy Stroud means an easy double digit sack total for Schobel. I know some here will have qualms with that.