LGB

From the Bleacher Report: June 12, 2006: Roethlisberger is in an automobile accident. Roethlisberger was not wearing a helmet at the time. Roethlisberger was not at fault in the accident, and there were no drugs or alcohol involved. Roethlisberger is cited for not wearing a helmet and failure to operate in his license class. These charges are no different than a speeding ticket. July 19, 2009: A civil lawsuit is filed against Roethlisberger by Andrea McNulty in Nevada. McNulty claims that Roethlisberger sexually assaulted her. No criminal charges have been brought, nor will be brought, because the Nevada District Attorney refuses to press charges in a case where there is no physical evidence. March 5, 2010: Roethlisberger is accused of sexually assaulting a 20-year-old woman in a restroom at a club in Milledgeville, Ga. No charges have yet to be filed. Here is how long the NFL has waited until punishment of the previously mentioned players. Adam Jones: Seven incidents, including two incidents of disorderly conduct and a felony before suspension. Mike Vick: Two felonies. Suspended after pleading guilty. Donte Stallworth: Two felonies, including manslaughter. Suspended after pleading guilty and serving his prison time. Plaxico Burress: Two felonies. Suspended four games by the New York Giants, still has not been suspended by the NFL. Ben Roethlisberger:No criminal charges in any cases have been brought against him. And people think he should be suspended already? Kind of makes you wonder. http://bleacherreport.com/articles/375870-...nded-by-the-nfl

LT was not himself last year (dinged up) but still showed some ability. He is just another guy to compete and gives the Jets some depth...sort of like LJ signing with the Redskins.

These Jet posts are great. The New Jersey Jets (they don't play in NY) have been doing what every other NFL team should be doing and that is to make themselves a better team. As I mentioned in a previous post, the Jets have made the playoffs 5 out of the last 10 years. Most WNY fans would love to be able to say that about the Bills.

Sounds like you have had a few too many Utica Clubs (do they still make that beer?) because the difference with the Jets over the last decade has been they have made the playoffs 50% of the time (01, 02, 04, 06, 09), whereas the Bills have had no playoffs appearances since 1999.

Now since the Redskins probably won't draft a QB with McNabb on board, Okung, Williams and Campbell will likely be gone by pick nine.

Agreed. Back in 2001, Clements really performed just as you would would like to see a 1st rounder perform: played in all 16 games, had 3 forced fumbles and 3 interceptions...and made a positive impact. Sure there have been other 1st round busts on other teams, but clearly for 10 years the Bills problems have had problems with bust picks. These bad choices have been made worse by all the guaranteed money has been tied up in these picks. Seriously, in the last five years, would you say that any of the top picks have deserved the millions of guaranteed dollars they were paid (wood and his injury excluded)? If all the top 2010 talent that you seek is gone by pick nine, you might want to look at trading down. Staying near the top of the first round has not been working.

on my original list, Parrish and McKelvin are question marks and it could be that the damage has already been done to Trent Edwards. The OL should have never been allowed to fall so far below par, but the Bills wanted to get something for nothing with Peters (couldn't sign him to a deal) and have been playing musical lineman ever since.

Eric Moulds (drafted in 1996) took a while to bloom, but once he did (in 1998), he stood out as the best player or one of the best players on the team for about the next four years (1998-2002). Since we are going way back in time, here is the list since 1980 and to look at this list compared to the 2000s, twenty years without an apparent major bust looks pretty good! 1980 Jim Ritcher 1981 Booker Moore 1982 Perry Tuttle 1983 Tony Hunter 1983 Jim Kelly 1984 Greg Bell 1985 Bruce Smith, 1st Overall 1985 Derrick Burroughs 1986 Ronnie Harmon 1986 Will Wolford 1987 Shane Conlan 1988 No 1st Rd Pick, Thurman Thomas (2nd Round) 1989 No 1st Rd Pick, Don Beebe (3rd Round) 1990 James Williams 1991 Henry Jones 1992 John Fina 1993 Thomas Smith 1994 Jeff Burris 1995 Ruben Brown 1996 Eric Moulds 1997 Antowain Smith 1998 No 1st Rd Pick, Sam Cowart (2nd Round) 1999 Antoine Winfield So what does this list combined with a good staff equate to? Playoff appearances in 1980, 1981, 1988, 1989, 1990, 1991, 1992, 1993, 1995, 1996, 1998, 1999 AFC East Division championships: 1980, 1988, 1989, 1990, 1991, 1993, 1995 AFC Conference championships: 1990, 1991, 1992, 1993 Buffalo Bills General Manager - Bill Polian: 1986–1993 ________________________________________________________________ Unfortunately since 1999, the number of 1st round busts have been plenty and the number of playoff appearances is zero ________________________________________________________________

Looking at the list of previous Bill's staff top draft picks (below) is all you need to know about why there hasn't been one whiff of the playoffs in WNY for a very long time. Number one picks should be able to make an impact or contribute right away, especially since a lot of guaranteed money has been tied up in these picks (Wood was unfortunately injured last year). 2000 Erik Flowers * 2001 Nate Clements 2002 Mike Williams * 2003 Willis McGahee * 2004 Lee Evans 2004 J.P. Losman * 2005 No 1st Round Pick, Roscoe Parrish (2nd Round)? 2006 Donte Whitner * 2006 John McCargo * 2007 Marshawn Lynch * 2008 Leodis McKelvin T ? 2009 Aaron Maybin * 2009 Eric Wood? (* = bust?) These players did not pick themselves and in hindsight, some of the Bill's top draft selections have been really bad, but at some point, maybe teams should start looking at all the guaranteed bonus money that is tied up for top draft picks and implement a fair rookie cap - where performance is rewarded instead of which round someone decided to select you. Beside drafting a dud that does not make an impact, another problem with the guaranteed money is that bad top picks (like McCargo) tend to stay on the roster longer. Sometimes you just need to just cut your loses and move on - and a rookie cap would make the minefield of bad investments a little easier to navigate.

Maybe it depends on what the meaning of the word is is:

Nobody wants our garbage first round picks - because they have never been good players. Bill's fans, on the other hand, are falling over themselves to get anyone who has been good at one time - even if they are on the downside of their careers - in the hope that they might have one or two good years left.

leadership is important, but if you can't pass the physical - that makes you what? - a coach on the sidelines?

Rams GM: McNabb rumors 'absolutely false': http://nbcsports.msnbc.com/id/36025787/ns/...ts-player_news/ This is just an attempt to gauge any interest in McNabb.

Would you want to end up in Buffalo - with the Bill's make-shift OL? Besides the Rams have a proven running game and play in a dome.

The Bills do not have a LT...and their OL should be their first consideration.

Why shouldn't the Bills advertise Moorman? He is on the field the most of all players, been to the pro-bowl the most and the scene of having to punt out of the Bill's end zone is so appropriate. Over the past seven seasons the Bills haven't ranked higher than 25th on offense and last year finished in 30th-place - so that shot is a very honest portrayal. The folks at the I-Love-NY campaign couldn't have done it any better. Now all we need in the picture are some of our government representatives (the laughingstock of the nation), a copy of an average New Yorker's tax bill and some moving vans - showing businesses leaving NY (not so funny) - and we will be ready for Saturday Night Live.

The biggest non-signing that has impacted the Bills the most - was losing Pat Williams. Try as they might, the Bills have really never been able to re-fill that spot. Williams (and Ted Washington) provided the anchor of the defense. That is what the Bills have been really missing and what the Vikings have benefited from - for many years. Next might be Jason Peters. Maybe someday before the Bills move, they will figure out that the game is won or lost on the line of scrimmage.

Trading down might make sense if you were a team that needed a lot of help in a lot of areas and you didn't care about drafting impact players - because you haven't been able to draft too many first round players that have had an impact on your team (*) in the last decade anyway (so why start now?). This list below is all you need to know about why there hasn't been one whiff of the playoffs in WNY for a very long time: 2000 Erik Flowers * 2001 Nate Clements 2002 Mike Williams * 2003 Willis McGahee * 2004 Lee Evans 2004 J.P. Losman * 2005 No 1st Round Pick, Roscoe Parrish (2nd Round) 2006 Donte Whitner * 2006 John McCargo * 2007 Marshawn Lynch * 2008 Leodis McKelvin T 2009 Aaron Maybin * 2009 Eric Wood ?

I agree...fix the line first, then worry about QB. Why beat up another QB like TE with a sub-standard line?

right, i was trying to be funny too...

...released means his is no longer part of the Browns, but we could still give them Donte if you want. Throw in McCargo too.

Funny how Bills fans will get excited on just about any news that could mean that our JV players might be replaced with more JV players. Did Anderson show anything last year that would make anyone think he is better than what we currently have?

If the Bill's goal was to make the playoffs, we would have had at least one whiff in the last decade. No, the goal is to sell tickets and pacify the majority of staunch fans. The gimmick last year was TO and this year it is a coach with a different name.

Who can keep count or would want to and that is why it says: "is at least the seventh choice for a roster spot". So if David Garrard lights it up and wins MVP of the Pro-Bowl, he will still not be considered an "all-pro"?

yep...it goes in the record book and the 7th alternate probably even gets a commemorative t-shirt and complementary gator aid jug.