Buffalonian-at-Heart

You must not be one of the objective fans of which you question the existence of.

... the hope for the optimistic side of the fan base. Here's my take. I think we are going to struggle offensively, which I think may be my optimistic side talking. I think there's a real possibility that the team may be more challenged than last year. Too many things have to come together for us to put a consistent offensive product on the field capable of performing on a weekly basis. I think we may see games where we look decent. Realistically I think the offense will do little more than serve as an evaluation of what we need going into the next off season, beyond LT and QB. However defensively is where I feel we have the biggest opportunity to surprise. There are two crucial things that will need to happen in order for the surprise factor to manifest. First, we need to get some semblance of a pass rush from the outside linebackers. Secondly we need for Troup to play solid as a rookie. Obviously domination would be too high of an expectation for Troup, but if he can just plug, that will be significant. If these two things happen we will hover around the top ten in the league defensively.

I get the sarcastic part, but the "Then we could be in a position to throw 80 million at an unproven Qb, then watch him fail, that sound like it would be alot more fun." part sounds like he doesn't want a rookie QB drafted high. That is the part that concerns me, because I think that's the only way this team is going to go from getting better, to competing for the division and beyond.

You tried to mix two entirely different topics in your response. Just because I hope the Bills win or even think they might have a chance at having a better record than last year, does not mean we don't need a franchise QB. Are you saying that you want us to win 7, 8, or 9 games so we're not in a position to draft a top flight QB next year?

I only disagree with one portion of your post. It's going to take Wang a lot longer than the 8th game to late year to become a starter. It won't even be next year. He's a project in every sense of the word. I feel like he'll need to go through at least 2 off season NFL training programs to build upper body strength, etc.

So you think Arizona loosing Dansby, Boldin, and Warner had a better offseason?

So what you're saying is that we should stop the Orakpo comparison's to Maybin, because after comparing them, you've found that there's no comparison? And if anyone disagrees with your comparison they're ignorant? I think you picked the wrong avenue to make statements you don't want anyone to respond to. You might even say, that's ignorant of you.

This young man is making this team.

This nails it on the head. Dead on Dean.

Well here's the flip side of the argument. The players contracts aren't guaranteed, and pretty much their only leverage is to be a pain in the neck. They're really aren't any advantages to holding out, because the fines would actually force the player to eventually show up. So to be a disruption is their only leverage. If a player gets hurt, doesn't perform up to his contract, or gets to an age the owner no longer wants to pay them, they just cut them. Nothing lost except salary cap implications. But for all intents and purposes no out of pocket money. So conversely if the player plays above the current contract, that's his only time to strike. To get the signing bonus (up front money), and renegotiate at the peak of his talent. Take Derek Jeter for a baseball example. The Yankees will have to take care of him late in his career because of all he's done in the past. He'll get a contract this off season that will pay him like a 25 year old prime player. Football players only have a small window to maximize their earnings and the window opens and closes a lot more suddenly especially if their skills start to erode. So if Andre Johnson doesn't get his money now. At the back end of his 5 years and 60 mil remaining when he's say got 2 more years left on that contract, he'll be 32 and on the wrong side of 30 to get another contract worthy of his status among his piers. He has to get that money now. What needs to happen is guaranteed contracts. It will settle down the holdouts, not completely but for the most part. Then because the contracts are guaranteed they will in turn be deals for less money. The theory will be take lesser contracts for them being guaranteed.

So do the Bills, that's why we drafted a nose in the second round. But the guy flat out plays tough and is hard to ignore a talented hard working guy, just because you're switching defensive schemes. That's why you'll see him play on passing downs, you won't see him in on obvious rushing downs. Most teams do this kind of rotation. Some guys you make fit into a scheme because they are just valuable football players. Kyle Williams is a good fit on any football team. You should really concentrate on real issues this team has, Kyle Williams isn't one.

I disagree that Bell lacks talent. I'd argue that might be all he has.

I'm about to get one, but I can't figure out if DHGate is the better site to use, or if Jersey101 is? Can anyone help with their experience? Or if you have any specific sellers you've used? Thanks.

I'm going to attempt to put my thoughts into one post about my feelings for the upcoming season. If most of us would admit, all of our opinions about the upcoming season are unsubstantiated, none of us really know or have any special thoughts that somehow are able to see the future. In saying that, there have been a myriad of thoughts about the entire off season, and now how its going to translate into the season. I for one think the entire spectrum of thoughts are not only possible, but I have been up and down that spectrum myself. I go from feeling this team won't compete to all the way to feeling they are going to surprise people on how competitive they will be. Wow, could there be more polar opposite feelings? But I have them both. One day I'll lean towards believing we are going to struggle to be competitive. Anytime a team: changes the entire staff, switches an entire defensive scheme with only one year to put the proper pieces in place, one off season to teach the new system, didn't address the identified most important needs of the team identified by the Front Office - media - and fans alike Left Tackle and Quarterback. You could continue your pessimism by saying NT was at the very minimum the 3rd most important position needed and the cornerstone needed to switch to the 3-4, and we addressed that position with a rookie who is thought by many to be drafted above more talented players. Then I'll get a totally different opinion that comes over me. Optimism buys me a ticket on "The Bills are on their way to being significant" bandwagon. Our current QB core is better than anyone we could have drafted and Gailey has the ability to coach one of them up, Spiller is going to make the offensive line issues less present, Troup is the perfect fit NT that should have been chosen over "more popular" names, we got bigger on defense and have a plethora of Linebackers to field a strong group. As I stated earlier, the concerns about this team and the reasons to be optimistic are all possible of being true reasons for the success or failure of this team. For those of you that have made it this far through my post and haven't hit the back button out of sheer boredom, your probably anticipating me to take a neutral position on the Bills upcoming season. And to say that some of the positive things we feel will come true, and some of the concerns will be true, therefor we should take the approach as fans that we won't be real good, but we should see enough positives to start feeling good about the future. Well Heck no. Stop stop with thinking I'm just going to ignore all the issues and go on a rant of how good we're going to be, and how our division foes acquisitions will blow up in their face, blah blah blah. I think this team has a real chance of being good. In my view our ability to be good hinges on one person, and one person only (in regards to the overall team being good); Trent Edwards. If Trent wins the QB job, this team is on its way. It will mean that an excellent QB talent evaluator (Gailey), chose him, and that a new commitment to Trent will have been made by the new regime. I think we should all be hoping Trent wins the job, for what it will mean to our future. If he doesn't win the job, we are still in project QB mode or drafting one next year mode. Which in my view means the ability to compete for the division won't happen till the QB to build around arrives.

Yes lets evaluate 5 QB's during training camp. The situation should get much clearer.

so he's dually confused.

ok so now your switching from all these rookies are starting, to who do I consider veteran's?

I don't understand your post. We aren't going to have any rookies start on the offensive line, unless you consider your depiction of Wood as a rookie because of the injury. So you want to bring in Fanaca and Adams to be backup mentors to guys like Wang? You have to know neither of these guys would do that, nor would that make sense for the team. So I have to believe you want them to start? Which goes back to my original question, what rookie would they be taking out of the starting lineup to mentor?

Don't you think the media covering the Bills Training camp would be mentioning that the 11th overall pick last year is taking 2nd and 3rd string snaps in rookie minicamp? So you can't believe we aren't going ballistic because of a report by Beerball? Which most of us didn't read. I come on here everyday, several times a day, and didn't read Beerball's comment. You don't even know it to be true. You're not entirely sure Maybin is there, you are saying "So I'm pretty damn sure that he's there." And you want all of us to be alarmed about what again?

First off you can't associate the past of the LT position on the current GM. Just because he didn't like any of the Tackles in this years draft at our draft positions, doesn't mean he had anything to do with Peters or that he's ignorant that we need a LT. Look at it this way. Would you trade Peter's and a second for Wood and Gaither?

hahahahahahahahaha, wow, you can't be serious?

Because we've never had a weapon that can draw the LB or Safety to the flat.

How do you know they weren't? Just because they said they didn't pursue trading up for him? What would you expect them to say after not drafting him?

Exactly, if Spiller is lined up in the slot, but off the line of scrimmage and either runs a route to the outside or goes in motion, bang the slant or cross is going to be open because the LB is going to have to move.

If Trent wins the starting job; checking down to Spiller vs. Jackson will be an entirely different situation for us and the defense. You best know where Spiller is as a defense. If Jackson swings out, as a defense you feel like you can react and close, if Spiller swings out you better get out there before the decision is made to go to him. This can create a major issue for defenses. In the spread, Spiller is going to be used as the Cutterback. Which means he will be lining up all over the place, and be in motion a lot. He'll be used as a weapon and a decoy. He's going to help out whoever the Bills decide to play at QB, which I think will be Edwards.