Manning vs. Brady (Eric Allen - ESPN)

+New England Patriots had issues when they had Talib, but the Thomas pair will be ready for a bit of bounce back redemption from a poorly officiated "B.*" game and a punt they bounces off of a player in 40 mph winds. +Denver Broncos will let Brady throw underneath and the Orange Crush Bookends will have heat on Brady all day. The one thing he cannot deal with. 

Who else is ready for Sunday?!! Time To Ride! United in Orange!

Buffalo Bills insight into the rare talent, former Clemson WR, Sammy Watkins

+Buffalo Bills +Clemson Tigers WR Sammy Watkins +Atlantic Coast Conference +NFL AFC East

5 things you need to know about Sammy Watkins

Bills GM, Whaley,"I Will not be Afraid"

Anna Stolzenburg

+Buffalo Bills Correspondent

Bills on Facebook 

Bills on Twitter

Everything you need to know about the Bills newest WR Sammy Watkins. 

1) He was the 2014 +Orange Bowl MVP.

In his final game at Clemson before declaring his intentions for the +NFL Draft after his junior year, he led Clemson to victory with 16 passes for 227 yards and two touchdowns, earning him the Orange Bowl MVP nod.

2) He’s a record-books kind of guy.

Watkins burst onto the scene as a freshman All-American in 2011 after 82 catches for 1,219 yards and 12 touchdowns, and didn’t slow down. In just 29 starts for Clemson, Watkins became one of only two players in school history with over 5,000 all-purpose yards (5,129) and with 3,000 yards receiving (3,391). He’s the school’s all-time leader in receptions (240) and yards (3,391), is tied for the lead in touchdown catches (27) and is also the only player in school history to catch a pass for a touchdown, carry the ball for a touchdown, return a kick for a touchdown and throw a pass for a touchdown. In total, he set 23 records in his three seasons.

3) He’s as “low maintenance” as C.J., and they’re friends.

“When C.J. Spiller left, I didn’t know if I’d have another one like him, and then Sammy Watkins came along,” said Clemson Head Coach Dabo Swinney told CBS Charlotte. “Obviously, the talent is off the charts but a lot of guys have great talent. It’s the work ethic, the commitment, the humility, the knowledge, the instincts, the toughness. It’s all of those combined that make him a great player. Very low maintenance guy to coach every day. He’s been blue collar since the day he got here.”

Watkins credits Spiller with putting Clemson on the map as a football destination for Florida recruits often drawn to the more local +Florida State Seminoles. Spiller and Watkins are friends from their Clemson days (with no bad blood despite the fact that Watkins broke Spiller’s +Clemson Tigers freshman all-purpose yards record), and are pictured here earlier this year at an NBA game.

4) He grew up a Bills fan.

Watkins told the South Carolina media the Bills were his favorite NFL team growing up. We’re a fan of you too, Sammy. 

5) He plays bigger than his size.

Watkins ran a 4.43 40-yard dash at the Combine, moves well with and without the ball, and is quick in and out of his breaks. Though only 6-1 and 211 pounds, he plays bigger on the field, and big plays largely summarized his college career.

“For me I think I can do just about anything on the field from running back to wide receiver, slot. I can make plays all over the field,” said Watkins. “What I love doing is dominating defenses and I think that’s what I bring to the game. I think that’s going to turn over to the NFL. When I come into the NFL I think I can be that dominant receiver.”

NFL Bills Founder (Owner) Ralph Wilson Passes Away

It is a sad day in the Sports World, +Sports CR3W, loses one of its best people in sports, +Buffalo Bills founder and owner, Ralph Wilson

QUOTES ON DEATH OF BILLS OWNER RALPH WILSON

By +The Associated Press 

Mar. 25, 2014 9:41 PM EDT

Reaction on the death Tuesday of +Buffalo Bills owner Ralph Wilson:

___

"He wasn't my boss, he was my friend. A magnificent guy to work with. Deeply saddened to hear about his passing. He meant so much to the game that both of us revered, and to the community of Buffalo and beyond. It's quite a loss, and he's going to be remembered so fondly by everyone who knew him." — Marv Levy, Bills Hall of Fame coach.

___

"Ralph Wilson was a driving force in developing pro football into America's most popular sport. He loved the game and took a chance on a startup league in 1960 as a founding owner of the American Football League. He brought his beloved Bills to western New York, and his commitment to the team's role in the community set the standard for the NFL. As a trusted adviser to his fellow league owners and the commissioner, Ralph always brought a principled and common-sense approach to issues." — +NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell.

___

"I was truly blessed to be around Mr. Wilson during the glory days. ... To have him in the locker room after a game, to see the excitement but also on the other side to see the disappointment of never winning a championship, but also coming into the locker room after big games, after Super Bowls, and always hearing him remind players, each one, that we wouldn't have got here without you. ... So I'm going to miss him, without a doubt. He used to call me his favorite son." — Thurman Thomas, Bills Hall of Fame running back.

___

"As two of the original members of the AFL's Foolish Club, my father and Ralph shared a unique bond and special friendship. I had the privilege of knowing Ralph and his family my entire life. His sense of humor was extraordinary, and his passion for the Buffalo Bills was remarkable." — Clark Hunt, +Kansas City Chiefs Chairman.

___

"Mr. Wilson truly was one of the great visionaries and caretakers of our game. He was a great Detroiter and has left a lasting legacy for the city of Buffalo and western New York. We lost a tremendous leader and a true friend today, and his contributions to the NFL will endure forever." — Tom Lewand, +Detroit Lions President.

___

"On behalf of the entire Pro Football Hall of Fame family, we extend our deepest condolences to Ralph's wife Mary Wilson, the Bills community of fans, and all who love the game of football on the loss of such a great man, and a Hall-of-Famer for the ages." — David Baker, Pro Football Hall of Fame president.

___

"Ralph Wilson Jr. was cut from the same cloth as Lamar Hunt, a man I worked for in Kansas City for nearly 20 years. The historic AFL-NFL merger that these men brought to fruition more than 50 years ago helped make the NFL the pinnacle of sports that it is today, capturing our imaginations like little else." — Carl Peterson, USA Football Chairman.

___

"Ralph Wilson was a founder of our game, one of the cornerstones of the AFL, and a great American sportsman. He had a tremendous competitive spirit, and his contributions to professional football were very meaningful and significant." — Jerry Jones, +Dallas Cowboys owner.

___

"It's the end of a real important era. Ralph was so important in developing football into what it is today. He was the NFL. He was the AFL. He was always a guy that was up to the task." — Woody Johnson, +New York Jets owner.

___

"As one of the founding fathers of the AFL, Ralph deserves a lot of credit for taking that initial risk and for the many contributions he made to the NFL over the past 54 years. He built a franchise that the Buffalo community loves and embraces. Personally, I will always be grateful for how he welcomed me when I first entered the league. He was always a gracious host and I will never forget that. I will miss him." — Robert Kraft, +New England Patriots chairman and CEO.

___

"Ralph was remarkably warm and helpful to me as I knocked on doors to explore ownership in the NFL. Given his legacy as a builder and visionary, I imagine Ralph was able to relate to my dream to one day join him as a team owner. I'll never forget his kindness to me, and will always treasure the letter he wrote welcoming my family to the NFL in 2011." — Shahid Khan, +Jacksonville Jaguars owner.

___

"As the last surviving NFL member of the 'Foolish Club,' Ralph Wilson helped grow the game in new territories and in new ways and his passing concludes a terrific success story. Our two franchises have shared many moments in football history and Bud (Adams) was proud to see Ralph Wilson enter the Pro Football Hall of Fame in the 50th anniversary of the AFL." — Tommy Smith, +Tennessee Titans CEO/president.

___

"He's our leader, our mentor, our friend. How he loved his players and loved our community. Special guy. They don't make them like Ralph Wilson. They just don't." — Russ Brandon, +Buffalo Bills president.

___

"I'm eternally grateful to Mr. Wilson for giving me the opportunity to become a general manager, and giving Marv and I the opportunity to build a great football team. And I know for a fact during the course of my tenure with the Bills that he had opportunities to entertain offers to move the franchise to places that would have been more lucrative. But he gave his word, and like everything else he did in his life, he kept his word when he said that the Bills would never leave western New York in his lifetime." — Bill Polian, Bills former general manager.

___

"For those of us that played for him and knew him, we were hoping this day would never come. And I'm sad, I'm broken-hearted over it because he's a guy that I not only had a lot of affection for personally, but I had a lot of respect for him. I owe a lot of my success professionally and personally to him and this organization, and I never forgot that and I never will." — Steve Tasker, former Bills receiver-turned-broadcaster.

___

"His contributions to the city of Buffalo over his 50-plus years of owning the Bills were immeasurable, and his legacy in western New York and the sports world will be long-lasting. With his passion for the game and never-ending loyalty to the great fans of Buffalo, he embodied what owners in sports strive to be." — Terry and Kim Pegula, +Buffalo Sabres co-owners.

___

"Ralph Wilson loved the @buffalobills & WNY with every fiber of his being. The legacy of my dear friend will reverberate for generations." — U.S. Sen. Charles Schumer on Twitter.

___

"The Bills remain, to this day, an economic engine for the region, generating revenue and providing jobs at a stadium that will bear Mr. Wilson's name for years to come. ... His passion for football and dedication to his community is epitomized the spirit of the Buffalo Bills and their fans." — New York Governor Andrew Cuomo.

Legion of "Belichick" coming to New England or so says a somewhat dilusional "Boston" fan

'Legion of Belichick' set to rattle AFC
Posted by Obnoxious Boston Fan

If you're looking for one more reason why Bill Belichick loves him some Brandon Browner, just watch.

Coming soon to a Patriots game near you.

Browner and the Patriots agreed on a three-year, $17 million deal Friday. Once he completes his four-game drug suspension at the start of this season, the Patriots will have one of the most formidable defensive secondaries in the NFL. Revis is simply the best the NFL has to offer, no matter what Richard Sherman happens to Tweet each night, at the cornerback position. Browner is a legit, 6-foot-4, 220-pound hard-hitting bad-ass.

Reason 10,345 why we love the internet: @bbrowner27 on @WesWelker Vine. 6 seconds of coming attractions. #Patriots http://t.co/OcBgbdWNe3
— Obnoxious Boston Fan (@realOBF) March 14, 2014

The +Seattle Seahawks steamrolled their way through the NFC and then over the Denver Broncos in Super Bowl XLVIII thanks in large part to their secondary - christened the "Legion of Boom." Belichick has followed Pete Carroll's recipe for success [try writing that, never mind reading it] and has gone all-in when it comes to "playing the pass."

This may be the best offensive weapon they could have given Tom Brady [along with stability via his Most Value Hobbit in Julian Edelman].

Giving Brady reason to have confidence in the defense will only make him exponentially more efficient and accurate. He'll have less reason to force those deep balls that no longer travel quite as straight as they did back in 2007.

This "Legion of Belichick" gives the Patriots a menacing force downfield. Where just a year ago, New England's secondary was a Twitter joke, it should now lay waste to a sizable portion of the NFL. The Patriots were most susceptible 10-15 yards downfield last season. The emerging star of their secondary was rookie cornerback Logan Ryan. He found himself the beneficiary of opposing QBs who made the mistake of throwing his way and led the team with five interceptions, returning one for a touchdown.

Once Alfonzo Dennard gets out of jail [likely sometime in April] following his DUI arrest while being on probation for hitting a cop outside a bar, and Browner completes his substance-abuse-induced vacation, it will be a sobering realization for the rest of the league that the Patriots are now longer willing to bend, never mind break. The Patriots have Revis, Ryan, Kyle Arrington, Devin McCourty, one guy in jail and another who begins the season on a drug suspension in their defensive secondary. Browner has had 10 interception in his 36 career games. [He served a four-game PED suspension in 2012.] Smells like the makings of the championship contender right there.

New England ranked 26th in the league when it came to yards allowed last season. On 2nd and 7-9 yards to-go in 2013, the Patriots allowed a pass completion 71 percent of the time. Of the 102 times the Patriots faced that situation, 27 times they allowed a pass play of 10 yards or more, resulting in a first down or touchdown. When opponents faced a 3rd-and-7-9 yards to-go against New England, the purest of passing downs in the NFL, opposing quarterbacks had a 103.4 passer rating against the Patriots. In those 38 plays, teams averaged more than a first down, 9.39 yards, on every play.

Revis, at $12 million with a $20 million option for 2015, and Browner to the rescue. Talibistan seems like a million miles away already.

Peyton Manning smote the +New England Patriots in the AFC title game by having the best game of his career, especially given the setting and what was at stake. Aside from being nearly untouched all day, he was able to elevate up and down the field, leaving the Patriots' always a play behind when it came to coverage. No doubt the highlights from that game were first and foremost in the head of Belichick and millions of Patriots fans as NFL free-agency dawned this week.

The Patriots have never enjoyed such early success in the NFL free agency market. Wonderful. Even better that this just happened to occur as Brady's NFL Biological Clock whirs toward its eventual conclusion. It's doubtful the team is finished, either with Vince Wilfork or replacing/keeping Edelman and shoring up the defensive end position.

New England's three Super Bowl championships came with names like Willie McGinest, Tedy Bruschi, Rodney Harrison, Ty Law, Troy Brown, Lawyer Milloy, Mike Vrabel and Richard Seymour sprinkled throughout the defense.

Bringing in a Revis and a Browner is a terrific first couple of steps back in that direction.

Defense wins championships.

Or so at least that's the way Belichick and the Patriots remember it
-------

For Patriots, Darrelle Revis is best choice

Darrelle Revis could be the best option at cornerback for the Patriots. Now a FA, released by Tampa Bay

Original piece, By Ben Volin | +The Boston Globe Staff - Edited by +SPORTS CR3W 

Stephen Brashear (AP)

The Patriots did what they usually do on the first day of free agency – sat on the sideline. Meanwhile, they lost their top cornerback to the rival Broncos, who made two impact moves Tuesday while the Patriots did nothing, and let their top receiver hit the open market.

The +Denver Broncos struck a deal late Tuesday night for cornerback Aqib Talib, paying him an eye-popping $57 million deal over six years, with $26 million guaranteed, according to ESPN. The deal leaves the Patriots without a true No. 1 cornerback on the roster, and most of the top options came off the board Tuesday — Tampa Bay signed Alterraun Verner for $14 million guaranteed, and Indianapolis signed Vontae Davis for $20 million guaranteed.

If the Patriots want to replace Talib in free agency, the best option remains Buccaneers +Tampa Bay Buccaneers cornerback Darrelle Revis, who is expected to be released Wednesday afternoon if the Bucs can’t trade him. Revis is due $16 million this season, but would become a free agent if released by the Bucs and free to sign with any team. He still would command a large contract on the open market, and perhaps could equal or exceed Talib’s deal.

Related
Talib leaves Patriots for Broncos
3/6: Why Patriots should get Revis

Other, less expensive cornerback options for the Patriots are Antonio Cromartie, Dominque Rodgers-Cromartie, Cortland Finnegan, and Captain Munnerlyn. It’s possible the Patriots could go with Alfonzo Dennard, Logan Ryan, and Kyle Arrington as their top three cornerbacks and find another one in the draft.

7 potential landing spots for Darrelle Revis (via @NFL_ATL): http://t.co/h2bQcB3Syr #NFLFreeAgency pic.twitter.com/0Fw4EBS9nc
— NFL (@nfl) March 12, 2014

Meanwhile, the Patriots are also in danger of losing their top wide receiver for the second year in a row. Last year they let Wes Welker leave for Denver over $1 million, and they are currently at an impasse with Julian Edelman, who will continue to negotiate with the Patriots but also will speak with other teams, a league source told the Globe.

Reports already have linked Edelman to the Browns and Ravens, and the Texans with new coach Bill O’Brien could be a good fit, as well.

Edelman, entering his sixth NFL season, is coming off a breakout year in which he led the Patriots with 105 catches for 1,056 yards and six touchdowns. He also has been a standout punt returner throughout his career, averaging 12.3 yards per return, one of the best marks in NFL history.

Edelman would like to return to the Patriots, but he doesn’t seem intent on giving them a hometown discount. He was a seventh-round pick in 2009 and has been paid near-minimum salaries for each of his five NFL seasons. Last year he barely received any interest in free agency, and he returned to the Patriots on a one-year, league-minimum contract with incentives.

Edelman likes playing in New England with quarterback Tom Brady — the two share the same agents — but after establishing himself as the team’s top receiver, Edelman wants to cash in this time, especially since big paydays only come once or twice in a career.

Edelman could be looking to better the $10 million guaranteed that the Patriots gave Danny Amendola last season.

“It’s just business,” the source said.

If the Patriots move on from Edelman, they still have several options – Hakeem Nicks, James Jones, Emmanuel Sanders, and Kenny Britt likely can be had for relative bargains.

And in an interesting move, the Falcons released tight end Tony Gonzalez, who retired and took a job on the CBS pregame show. The Falcons were forced to release Gonzalez because he never filed retirement papers and was due a $3 million roster bonus this week. Now that Gonzalez is free, it will prompt speculation that he will un-retire and play for a Super Bowl competitor this fall.

As for Talib, 28, he had 1½ productive seasons in Foxborough after the Patriots acquired him from Tampa Bay for a fourth-round pick after the Bucs grew weary of his off-field issues. He played in 19 games in two seasons, compiling five interceptions and 16 passes defended while emerging as the team’s best and most physical cornerback. He shined in the early part of 2013, helping shut down elite receivers such as Jimmy Graham, A.J. Green, and Roddy White, but he missed three games with a hip injury and left the AFC Championship game with knee injuries in both seasons.

Talib’s injury history and off-field issues — he had a four-game suspension while with Tampa Bay — scared the Patriots off his asking price. The $26 million guarantee is the highest among all NFL cornerbacks, surpassing the $25.5 million Dallas gave to Brandon Carr. In Denver, Talib will replace departed veteran Champ Bailey and will face the Patriots in Foxborough next season.

And the Broncos, who defeated the Patriots in the AFC Championship game, may not be done loading up. They entered the day with more than $25 million in salary cap space, signed Talib and front-line safety T.J. Ward, and are the favorites to land pass rusher DeMarcus Ware, who was cut by Dallas. They also hosted former +Minnesota Vikings defensive end Jared Allen on a visit.

The +New England Patriots also didn’t do much with their other free agents and haven’t made any roster cuts or contract extensions, either.

Broncos veteran linebacker Wesley Woodyard visited New England Tuesday, according to a Denver radio report, and he could be the replacement for Brandon Spikes, who isn’t expected back after four seasons with the Patriots. Spikes, the team’s second-round pick in 2010, said goodbye to New England and Patriots fans on Twitter Tuesday afternoon.

“It’s been real, it’s been fun. But it hasn’t been real fun lol,” he wrote. “Thank u to the cities of New England & @Patriots for an amazing run.”

The Patriots also haven’t re-signed center Ryan Wendell, and may lose backup linebacker Dane Fletcher, who visited Tampa Bay Tuesday, according to reports.

Ben Volin can be reached at ben.volin@globe.com.