ColdBlueNorth

True that, but do others feel the same way? Bell is weak, and our right-side is weaker. Gailey has no faith that we can run on anybody, and he was touted as a guy who leans heavily on the run. We get down in the red zone and we go empty backfield, we have a one dimensional offense (throw it before you are killed) and it has really hurt us for too long. The big boys need upgrades on both sides of the line.

I would give them McCargo and a bag of peanuts for him. Wait, make that two bags of peanuts.

With the season over and not much more than the draft to look forward to I wanted to get a consensus on how folks felt about Fitz, about Elite QB's, and where they fit as part of a rebuilding effort. Not to add fuel to the fire, but there seems to be some strong feelings on drafting an "Elite QB of the Future" for the Bills so I came up with some loaded questions meant to create some more debate on the topic and also gauge the stance of others here on the Wall. My stance is simple: That if we consider NE a good team to model ours after then: You go after QBs with the qualities you are looking for - and they can be found anywhere in the draft, or not. You build up the talent and the supporting cast around your QBs (particularly the Offensive Line)and then you coach up that QB to play comfortably (once again the Offensive Line is key) within your system. You coach them to protect the ball and to not turn it over or panic. Protecting the ball is made more of a priority for anyone that is part of moving the ball. If you don't have the talent up front to be dominant, you build your defense around pressuring QBs, take-aways, and preventing the big score. For as many large chunks of yards NE defense gives up in the middle of the field check out their defensive ranking in the red zone - teams do not come away with TDs. Running backs don't scamper through their secondary all the way to a TD celebration. Better linebacker, Safety, and DB play preventing the deep burn.

Wow... folks are off their meds. What in New England's drafting history would ever make you believe they would trade away draft picks for a QB in the first round?? Unlike some of the more stubborn posters here, NE does not believe that "elite" QB's are only drafted in the first round, rather they find QBs with some skills they think translate well to the NFL and they coach them up to play in their proven offensive system. With all the supporting pieces in place - a proven offensive line, and a great supporting cast of receivers and elusive running backs, Belicheat slaps a new cog in the wheel and they keep rolling. Brady - 6th round Cassel - 230 pick in the 7th round Brian Hoyer (ONLY current backup to Brady) - not even freaking drafted. If the Bills are looking for an elite QB they might as well trade NE for Hoyer - he is probably more prepared to start in the NFL than any available wet-behind-the-ears rookie draft pick. Do any of you doubt that if Brady went down with an injury that Hoyer would not lead the Patriots to several wins - you have to ask yourself deep down why that is so?

Hanesworth will start for some team and do his best to show that coach Shanny was wrong about him. But that "I play when I want to play" Randy Moss attitude, skipping practices, pouting, and media antics I would try to avoid if I were rebuilding a team. I have to agree with H2O above though, if reunited with his former coach in Detroit they would have the makings of an awesome interior line.

I don't think so. Not that I am enamored with the product that he has been able to put on the field, but the team was very up front (see linky from May last year) about the challenges of shifting defensive philosophies early in the year, the fact that they did not have the right personnel to run either well, and that this year would be a tough year running a hybrid system of both. I think the year was even more tough than imagined because we did not have any good run stoppers and our pass rush was abysmal. How did we address that in the off-season? - Well, we lost Schobel our one true pass rusher and no slouch in run defense, and we gained a bunch of rookies and castoffs from other teams. Not surprisingly, we still stink at stopping the run (Troup is still a bit light and is having a slow rookie acclimation year), but as the rookie Moats and Carrington have come on we have found more ways to pressure the QB. Pass defense has been abysmal IMO, I would like to see a big shift in the off-season on how our DBs play the pass and the run. Byrd definitely needs coaching up. Last year his primary focus was one half of the field in a cover-2 defense which was easy for him to absorb, but the way you have to use the FS in a 3-4 means that Bryd has to be able to read either side of the field, react, and take better angles to be successful - he has struggled both with injuries and picking up his assignments. Edwards defensive changes I like Edward's pedigree and he has worked many years under some really good defensive coordinators including Wade Phillips, Saban, Capers... he knows the strengths and weaknesses of both systems and I think he can get us further down the road next year with some personnel upgrades. I am not sure that all that experience will translate into someone who can shoulder all the responsibilities needed at DC, but time will tell. I am more confused as to why they kept our DB coach on from the Jauron era - his experience is Tampa-2 (Carolina, Indianapolis, KC...) all the way when we definitely need a DB coach who can coach up our secondary to play more single coverage, blitz, and run support. This guy has been bounced around so much I would like to see what he can do when given the luxury of having the same OC and more than a year, but like my take with Gailey I expect to see better results next year - period. For myself, I will give them a pass on this year because of all the personnel and scheme changes...we will see if they can make the grade next year.

My thoughts exactly. I expect to see a decent amount of roster moves and purging of current players who just aren't producing on the field, but with a full year and 2 drafts to work with - I expect to see improvements on both sides of the ball next year. And there is just no excuse for all the turnovers this team has - that needs to be addressed by this coaching staff. If they struggle with the same issues next year I believe everyone's patience with the management of this franchise will be strained to the limit and Gailey will have worn out his welcome.

I wouldn't get too hung up on that for a player with the physical abilities of Bowers. IMO 4-3 in college is pretty meaningless. Most college players with a few exceptions translate to different positions in the NFL. You will see more certain projections for the nose tackle position, but if the guy is tipping the scales in college at 330+ it is usually a good indicator that he may be put to good use clogging up the middle of a defensive front. For example take that DE Moats that we drafted: College DE = NFL Linebacker. All they really look for is size and ability to take on or shed blockers, there is always the downside as to how long it takes college players to adapt to playing a different NFL position, but if the talent is there.... A true 3-4 lineman is asked to do more than a 4-3 tackle - traditionally taking on 2 blockers all the time, but with all the exotic zone blitzing, substitutions, and defensive packages (think of NE when they had all their D-Line and Linebackers standing up on plays), or when we rush 3 and everyone else is in coverage....I don't know if a team should worry so much about putting the right puzzle piece in place to match some idealized defensive alignment, rather teams like the Bills just need to focus on finding impact players that can fight through blocks and make plays on the line. Oh yeah, and don't pick up a FA player like Hanesworth who only wants to play tackle in a 4-3 and does not want to participate in practice. A good defensive coach will find a way to use a Kyle Williams regardless of his prototypical build.

All the news I hear from former players and doctors is that the risks of permanent damage from concussions is real, yet the NFL backs off one of the most notorious helmet to helmet hitters in the league. He's a tough SOB, and I wouldn't mind having him on my team, but he is the current poster-child for spearing and leading with your helmet. Bit of a mixed message by the league that will just lead to more confusion in the end. I have mixed feelings myself. My son plays the game and there's nothing I enjoy more than watching him put a good lick on an opposing player, but the wife sends me all the articles on the health hazards and I tell her that every game has hazards... A big part of what I enjoy about the game is the big hits and though helmet to helmet hits may be reduced, plenty of players bounce their heads off the turf every game and have been doing that for a long time. The best thing they can do without killing the game altogether and dressing the players in bubblewrap is to continue to work on: improving the equipment, better training on how to customize and fit helmets properly (usually just handed out by assistants not the team medical staff), and improve the process for early screening for even mild concussions so that players can be forced to take the necessary time needed to heal, and they need to improve the tests to determine when a player is actually ready to return and is "symptom free". There are mixed opinions of the base line tests they use in Hockey now, I guess we will just have to hope that medical science catches up with our game. I remember that during the Pominville concussion drama one dummy, I forget the player's name said that the "smart thing" to do was to purposefully do poorly on the baseline test so later if your brain is jacked up you can still pass - wow.

Yes I am a Nix apologist, but I too was baffled by that deal. Can only surmise that Kelsay, although weak on the field, is strong in the force. "There are no droids..., you will sign me to a long-term deal, I am an impact player on this team..."

Not sure if "RIDICULOUS excuses" is called for... As to a coach hiring his own staff of assistant coaches and coordinators - that is actually the norm. Coach's leave when GM's and owners start meddling with their staff, so Nix's behavior in that regards is in no way an indictment on his management abilities. As to the Free Agent pool - I agree that there were opportunities out there for some solutions to some of our personnel gaps, but they were not sought after. Many free agents are up there in age and perhaps the Bills brass felt that with the amount of rebuilding needed, they did not want to fork over the guaranteed money and longer contracts that older quality FA were looking for. Perhaps Ralph is just cheap like some folks claim - dunno. Edwards and Chan stated from the beginning that they wanted to implement a 3-4 defense, not sure if there is ever a good time to try to totally change your base scheme, but had more success stopping the run with an extra tackle than with an extra LB. Not sure if that is an indictment of our DT's and DE's not being dominant enough to occupy enough blockers, or a lack of talent at the LB position shedding blocks and taking good angles. As with most things I suspect it is a combination of both. Not quite ready to throw the baby out with the bath water when it comes to Edwards - his biggest failing in my mind was not the attempted switch, but rather an unfamiliarity with the players we had and their ability to take on new roles - that, and the long-term signing of Kelsay that they may come to regret. I already do. I suspect that defense will be a heavy focus on draft day because our defense still does not generate nearly enough pressure on opposing QB's, and we flat out stink against the run particularly if the opposing offense holds any real threat of throwing the ball.

This could end up on reflection being a very solid Nix draft... I did say "could". I am not sold that we have reached the ceiling on the potential of Moats and Carrington who are working at their transition into new roles and positions from college while still contributing. The reps they have received this year will only make them better next year (if there is a season next year). Troup has had a year to get stronger and learn how to occupy and shed blocks. If Easley, Batton, Wang, and Brown are still on the team and contributing in some fashion next year - even simply serving as depth for other starters, then you are looking at a draft where we only jettisoned Kyle Calloway. That is not too shabby. I would like to see Troup put on about 20 more pounds of muscle (or fat) and truly take on that 2 gap NT position and dominate it - the jury is still out on whether he can do that. If he can we could then move Kyle over to RE - He is already used to occupying two blockers and that shouldn't stop if teams are smart, but that would free up our LBs to make more stops in the running game. I have an easier time picturing Kyle ditching blockers and making stops from that position than Kelsay who certainly does not occupy two blockers when we use him on the line - an average TE can usually nullify his presence. We then only have the LDE to fill via the draft and serviceable guys that can fill in on rotation, or let go if their contracts are up, or trade away if we can get anything for them. I will always remember when we had Ted Williams and Pat Williams side by side "the Package". Whether we ran the 3-4 or the 4-3 teams just could not run on us. Then Ted would not take another pay cut demanded by Donahoe and he was allowed to leave and play for the Patriots - he later helped them go on to win a Superbowl. Donahoe then jettisoned Pat Williams to the Vikes. We owe him so much for what he did for this team during his tenure God I am tired of Pittsburgh cast-offs ruining this show. I cannot believe they went to that well again for Whaley as assistant GM...but when he was with the Steelers he was credited at being a guru at spotting and drafting defensive talent. That, and supposedly getting caught sending emails with porn. Nix seems to be good at evaluating offensive talent, between the two of them perhaps we can purge the stench left behind by a decade of scouting and drafting incompetence and first round misses (and no, I am not ready to pull the plug on Spiller yet. He looks like he is fully recovered from his hammy pull, and the Bills finally had him run a real pass route. I would like to see more of him in the passing game, but he really needs to learn how to protect the ball no matter how they use him).

Excellent point... go back and prevent his success. That we could easily accomplish with the supporting cast and coaching we had in 2000.

Brady in 2000?? Where he promptly gets put behind a horrible offensive line, gets clobbered for 2 years straight till he leaves in 2003 drooling, wetting his depends, and unable to recall his name. Luckily the Bills front office decide that he was a wasted pick in the 6th round jettison his remains and go for Palmer or Leftwich 1st round in the 03 draft. Rinse and repeat. Just say'n.... since we are going back in time an all that

I think that Fairley is a beast and if he is there we can try to deal Stroud to a team that is running the 4-3 set that he is more suited to play in and have an instant upgrade. At 32 I think Stroud has a few good years left if he were playing in the right system. He knows the coaches here, played for them in college, and unlike Hanesworth he has tried to do what they have asked of him as a DE, but he does not fit the scheme. There are lots of defensive players that grade out more towards the 2nd round so if the Bills cannot pick up that true impact player then dealing for more picks would be a good move.

I am just not sold on Mallet, maybe it is just mechanics but the ball seems to come out slow on the out patterns he throws, has a lot of arc on deeper passes, and is not a very tight spiral. Probably over-analyzing it, but I just see his passes getting picked off when things are moving at NFL speeds. Indoors those things may not pose much of an issue, but in the swirling winds of the Ralph or at Gillette a tight spiral on the ball and keeping a lower trajectory is the key to accuracy. Brady has mastered that and it shows in all those "snow" games - Kelly was no slouch at keeping a tight spin on the ball and throwing it on a rope as well. Fitz has a tight throw, but his decision-making of late has been a bit suspect and he has not shown consistent accuracy. He can thread the needle on one play, and wildly over or under throw the next. Some of that may be caused by the routes run by the rookie receivers - what do I know?

I was wondering if anyone would notice my weighing in on the almost ridiculous odds of actually landing a franchise QB on purpose... the skill has to be there, the desire to improve, and they have to be put in a system where they are groomed for success and they have to stay healthy. Each year it is usually just 1 or 2 that pan out, some years none do. Flashback - The 2000 Draft pundits weigh in on the QB draft class....before that now legendary 199th pick in the 6th round. "Not a great QB crop this year, only Pennington and Redman deserve first round consideration. Redman started the year ahead of Pennington, but Pennington's solid play as well as the Thundering Herd's good season has him atop most team's draft boards at QB. Neither one of these guys are going to be penciled in as the immediate starter for their respective teams this year. Drew Brees would have been the #1 QB had he chosen to leave school early this year." Ultimate Football Guide: NFL Draft Scout listed these QB prospects ahead of that kid at Michigan 1. Chad Pennington 2. Chris Redmond 3. Marc Bulger 4. Tee Martin 5. Giovanni Carmazzi 6. Todd Husak 7. Doug Johnson 8. Jarious Jackson 9. * Tom Brady I also found this gem regarding the NE draft... "For a team riddled with drafting problems, this draft wasn't all lost. Klemm was a real find at no. 46. He is a natural left tackle, and should start in 2000. Redmond hasn't proven to be the wisest kid around, but he definitely has nice moves. The Patriots are hoping he can solve their running troubles. Stachelski has good strength, is a decent blocker, and his hand will get better over time. Tom Brady is a big tall quarterback that can make all the intermediate throws, but will need to work on his long ball. Patrick Pass can be an exciting return man ... and with the recent success of Terrell Davis, Robert Edwards, and Orlandis Gary, it doesn't hurt to take a back from Georgia! overall grade: C+" C+ and that kid has to work on his long ball - too funny. I just love 20/20 hindsight. In retrospect 2000 was not a bad crop of QBs at all if you consider that Pennington, Bulger, and Brady came out of it. I am convinced that Pennington's career was cut short by the injured shoulder that never was the same after surgery. Bulger had a fairly long and successful career, but neither of them got the kind of protection that NE has always kept around Brady - they got the crap beat out of them. Just a side note - the Bills selected Erik Flowers with their number 1 that year - ugh. Find a way to protect our QB the way NE protects theirs, put him in position with makeable pass options and who knows what Fitz's, Brown, or Brohm's upside might be. Most of all we have to be more patient - and that is asking a lot from us considering the crappy football we have been dealt over more than a decade. Chan has to show that our crop of QBs or a new QB wont freakin suffer meltdowns in big games. We need a cool cat that doesn't make a lot of mistakes, but the game plans should not put our QB into a lot of bad situations running for his life either. We have to demand more of our offensive line than they have given over the years if we are ever going to compete with the likes of NE twice a year.

If Luck actually was there I assume Gailey would take him. Assuming he isn't going to be you have to take the next best impact player for the team and that is a beast DT/DE that can stop the run and pressure opposing QBs Round 1 Any of these will do: Nick Fairley Marcell Dareus DaQuan Bowers Round 2 Best Linebacker on their draft board that can come up in run defense and yet cover a TE. Akeem Ayers Bruce Carter Von Miller is a beast rushing the passer, but with Moats and Carrington I figured we needed someone who can come up in run support yet skate with opposing TE's when needed. Round 3 True Strong Safety. If Mark Barron drops due to his injury and declares he is more in the mold of a SS that puts fear into the hearts of opponents, a ferocious hitter that creates turnovers - something I don't think we get with Whitner. He may not be that great in coverage, but neither was Donte. The rest of the rounds we need to get an impact TE, a mauler at RT, and you can't get enough Defensive Backs. Round things out with a Guard/Tackle for depth. Round 4a TE or CB Round 4b CB or TE Round 5 RT Round 6 G Round 7 Tom Brady

As the mad scramble for blame begins... so I will add my rambling thoughts. Criminey, we let NE dictate whether or not we run. We go empty-backfield/spread-offense as soon as they go 7-man front - it used to be an axiom in football that you keep doing something till a team proves they can stop you. On a team that specializes on creating pressure and getting turnovers we basically tell them we dare you to come after our QB (Fitz and our offense are better than they were, but they are not that good yet)... Fitz was terrible protecting the ball, but NE makes offenses feel they HAVE to score to keep up. Still, he made some terrible decisions today with the ball and forced our D into bad situations. 7 turnovers - fail. This team needs to really focus on protecting the ball, that has been an issue all year Offense and Special Teams. Moorman pooch-kicks the ball so our D is defending deep in our own zone... NE gets touchdowns and when we did get down into the red zone we couldn't pick up a TD. Chan was outcoached today. Team was not focused and appeared to be reaching and struggling waaay too early. Muchof that falls on how Gailey reacted to what NE was doing. Even before the game got out of hand, this Bill's team looked like they were desparate, like the game was out of hand and it was late in the fourth quarter, but that was early in the 1st quarter... that's coaching - or lack thereof and Chan should be honest enough to take the heat for that. Should have stuck with the run to keep the pressure off of Fitz and to give our defense a breather. Also, we needed to slow the game down and keep the NE offense off the field as long as possible. Our O-line saw a clinic of how you protect a QB, but it helps that NE dares you to blitz anyone and they will make you pay. The NE O-Line rarely has to worry about protection schemes getting overloaded when teams are too nervous to send blitzes their way. It would be interesting to see how well Brady would play if he was not able to stand back in a pocket for 6 seconds surveying the field - but he can. I don't know what we have to have on Defense to change that. To beat the Patriots we need to be able to bring pressure up the middle to collapse the pocket. We have no pass rush to speak of unless we are playing a team whose offense allows us to cheat guys up to the line and overload the protections because we can disguise what we are doing, but against a good team with a veteran QB we get torn up. We do not have anyone that can cover any decent tight ends - that has not changed all year. Not too down on our "D", but it is obvious that we have many of the same issues on "D" that we had earlier in the year. They really get exposed when going up against better teams with veteran QBs where we cannot afford to blitz. Against teams with average or poor offenses they have been able to cover for the areas where they are weak. We have defensive needs, but I keep wondering what kind of message Chan sends our O-Line when we consistently go empty-backfield down in our red-zone. Not exactly a vote of confidence in the ability of our O-line to run block when it matters.

Run Forest Spiller.... run!!! Couldn't resist

I think the stats alone are a bit deceiving. First off, he has to get more carries for more yards and I don't think that will happen too much with the way Jackson is running. Both running backs took a hit to their averages in Miami - Chan blamed our O-Line for that... I would like to see them split him out more. I like what they tried to do in MN which I believe was trips-wide formation to use CJ in a WR screen. I liked it, but to sell it they have to actually make defenses believe that CJ will go down the field. If they let him run a few go routes, or used him in a Welker role now and then, teams would be forced to respect that he might actually release off the line. In MN, the linebacker assumed (rightly) that CJ was not going to release for a pass and charged in and wrapped him up right away. The Bills then tried the same thing from the other side - same result. As good as MN's linebacking core is, and espectially Henderson on those plays, I do not see him keeping up with CJ on a pass route. I would like to see them use him more like that, and I think the kid will be fine and he is learning now from one of the most underrated complete backs in Jackson.

I really like these players we have, but until they can prove they can stop NE at least once in a while how can I actually think they will now? It would be such a great Christmas gift to the faithful fans out there, but it takes more faith than I have to believe they can pull it off. I guess we will see what kind of game plan Edwards and Chan can come up with. Imagine the excuses all the pundits would use to justify NE's collapse if they did fall behind and our Bills pulled off the upset. NE will try to jump on the Bills early to get the crowd out of it - with the Ralph maxed out it could really get rockin if we actually had a lead on them. I still think our defense is a few pieces away... I don't think our linebackers can cover NE's tightends, and until I see someone shutdown Welker... I also see Woodhead and Green-Ellis picking up downs to keep drives alive once they spread our defense to cover all those receivers. I have less concerns for our offense and special teams, but they definately cannot afford to turn the ball over...

I am pretty high on Easley too, and I cannot say why because he hasn't done a thing yet in the NFL, but he looked great in camp against our defensive starters. I can see where some would laugh that off, but there are plenty of prospects that come into camp and are overwelmed. I think it is because he is a story we all like to hear, a local Connecticut boy who walked on at UCon, ended up sitting on the bench, mr. irrelevant, finally given a chance in his senior year and surprising all the "experts". I like the idea of a player who understands what "opportunity" means and maybe is willing to work hard to prove it on the field. With good size, great hands, Easley was clocked at a 4.46 40 in the combine and had a legit 4.39 40 at UConn's Pro Day. If he had run that at the combine, it would have placed him right behind the top time set by Ford (which was a unbelievable 4.28). You have to respect speed, but it does not always translate into success on the field - receivers have to have all the tools. There have been plenty of fast players who run terrible routes and have hands of stone. With Easley, just knowing he has the capability of turning on those kinds of jets, goot hands and all the other tools makes me believe that we may have really good depth at the WR position when he comes back healthy (fingers crossed).

Trying to figure out where to play Kyle on the d-line is a headache that most defensive coordinators would probably be willing to take on He could slide to DE on the right side, or you could leave him at nose for "obvious" passing downs as part of the rotation. He doesn't get suckered into biting on draw plays or screens - at least not this year. All that being said, Edwards has had to cobble together a hybrid system with a lot of Kelsay on the D-Line, he has also had to shuffle around rookies such as Moats, Carrington, and Troup as they have developed and been healthy. I think they are a few impact players on Defense away from having a lot more flexibility running the 3-4, but I would think that the experience that George Edwards gained having to be so creative this year can only help him add more wrinkles into our scheme next year. I think he has a good foundation to build on for next year and probably has already outlined his draft Christmas list to Nix. I am really excited to see where they go in the draft, but there are going to be plenty of folks disappointed if they do not grab the next Tom Brady - as if there is ever a sure-fire QB in the draft. I would not mind a later round QB if the Bills brass felt it upgraded Brown or Brohm... you do have to have an eye on the future. I firmly believe though that if they were to select a QB with their first pick, all they will manage to accomplish is a slap in the face to Fitz and the potential to turn the current positive team chemistry on its head. Just my opinion.

My point as well. I keep hearing that Brady and Belicheat have been the only constant on the Patriots team over the years. That, right after a post discussing Cassel's success at NE. The constant has been Belichick, and most times he simply out-coaches his opponent. The other thing NE has is poise and confidence. They believe they will pull out a game regardless of the score in the 3rd quarter or 4th quarter. How many close games have we had against NE where our team shot itself in the freakin foot to lose it in the end? Green Bay with a rookie QB took them down to the wire - a solid job of coaching there by McCarthy, but it slipped away from them in the end. New England's defense isn't that good, and they give up a lot of yards, but they are top 5 in red-zone defense. You can get down there, but they make it hard to come away with a TD. That is a trend the Bills have to find a way to reverse.