thewildrabbit

Same thing I stated about Whitner, it wasn't his fault that the moron Jauron drafted him so high. This post basically describes my point against what the OP stated in that Lynch, Smith, Whitner are busts, but Spiller isn't! The thing that really gets me is the way Chan Gailey utilized Spiller very sparingly once Jackson went on IR, almost like he was afraid to use him for fear he would get injured. Chris Johnson and Jamaal Charles have about the exact same build, and they take a pounding. Not only that, why not put him out as a WR / slot instead of Brad Smith. It just makes no sense to me to have a back up QB at WR when you have a player like Spiller with elite speed. Unless of course he couldn't learn the routes.

That 2010 draft class can be somewhat forgiven because Modrak and co. were still with the Bills. I still think whomever put that Cornell Green folder on Nix's desk should have been fired at the same point they cut Green, in week 5 of 2010. In regards to Spiller, his "wonderlic" score says a lot...he scored a 10. That's ok tho, he is in good company as QB Jeff George also scored a 10. Vince Young scored a 16... Anyway, RB's don't necessarily need to be brainiacs! Just suggesting a reason as to why he was so slow to develop, and why he had no clue as to what he was doing when Gailey named him the starting RB in 2010. Box of hammers anyone? You almost wonder what he was doing in college? Not to worry tho, Fitz posted one of the highest scores ever for that test. Also, Spiller has a brilliant veteran RB to learn under in Fred Jackson

I said that draft class LOOKS abysmal at this point, nobody from that draft class is even starting.... Its been 2 years!

Which begs the question as to why Nix even allowed the hiring of DC George Edwards and then allowed his 2 year horrific run. While allowing the unmitigated disaster of switching schemes without the proper personnel. I'm just a Bills fan, armchair QB NOT getting paid millions of dollars a year to make key decisions in a billion dollar org, and yet I never would have made that switch to a 3-4. This was also voiced by many of the fans in this forum and even stated such as it happened. I keep reading post after post about how great "football men" Nix & Gailey are, and yet in their first two years failed to even equal in wins what many consider the worst head coach this team has had in 10 years. I just hope that last statement comes to fruition!

But...but...but, the 2012 NFL season is soooo far away. still 2 more months till training camp. Whats a bust? That thing in canton? Where there is one of Jim Kelly, Thurman Thomas, Bruce Smith. ...no Andre Reed or Steve Tasker yet

First off, 2 years isn't very quickly IMO. Then, good football people would have never even tried to make the transition from an undersized player 4-3 Tampa 2 scheme to a 3-4. That entire process was a huge mistake from the get go. Even trying to incorporate a 3-4 when the team is already lacking talent at LB was ridiculous. Most Bills fans in this forum were asking why make that change, that very same question why over and over the last two years. No it isn't rare. I don't know why you insist on defending the mistakes made by this regime their first two years.I expected the proper results right away, like I think most Bills fans did! I also know so many here that had more expectations for the 2010 team then 4-12, and they couldn't believe that this new regime would do so much worse then Jauron. The entire world knew the Bills needed a better option at LT since they traded Jason Peters, and they needed a better option at pass rush when Aaron Schobel retired. It shouldn't take two years to fix those issues. Face it, that 2010 draft class looks abysmal at this point. Nix did a very poor job in 2010 in both the draft and the free agency period, whether you care to acknowledge it or not. First example, SF 49ers went from 6-10 to 13-3 in one year by hiring the right head coach in Jim Harbough. Don't forget that last off season was a strike shortened off season so the new coaches had less time to prepare the players. Harbough indeed pulled off some magic by getting a QB (who everyone else had written off as a bust) to play very well. John Harbough also went to a fading Raven team in 2008 and had immediate impact. 5-11 to 11-5.-Mike Smith went to the Falcons in 2008 and they went from 4-12 to 11-5. The Falcons have made the playoffs 3 of 4 years under Smith and new GM Thomas Dimitrof. -Last year the Denver Broncos went from 4-12 to 8-8 and made the playoffs under new HC John Fox. Now the team brought in Peyton Manning as QB. wow, just wow! -The Green Bay Packers under Mike McCarthy 4-12 in 2005, to 8-8 in 2006, to 13-3 in 2007. -The KC Chiefs under Haley 4-12 in 2009 to 10-6 in 2010, yea he got fired in 2011after his QB only played 9 games before an injury sent him to the IR, and his starting RB was on the IR by week 2. To me, it looks like the new DC tanked the defense to get the HCing job, and it worked. -The Dolphins in 2007 went 1-15 and new HC got them to 11-5 in one year. Now that team pinned its hopes on the wrong QB in Chad Henne, and still hasn't found a decent QB to lead them. This team is being lead by the worst GM in the league in Jeff Ireland. I daresay Jauron / Levy would be better -The Lions in 2009 2-14 and from a perennial loser to 6-10 in 2010 under Jim Schwartz , to 10-6 in 2011. Its far from rare that bad teams become good team almost instantly when they finally find the right head coach / GM. I believe that the Bills have had some really good talent on their teams the last 5 years or so, and whats been holding them back is missing a few key players and bad coaching. Gailey hired a bunch of assistant coaches with no NFL experience and those coaches needed on the job training plus the fact that Nix didn't find those missing key players in 2010. Bottom line is, Nix finally got off his as$ this year and got some things done in terms of players. It still remains to be seen in Gailey can put a winning team on the field with the current players. Will Chan Gailey ever have success as a HC while calling the offensive plays and setting up the entire offensive game plan? I'm still not convinced Gailey is the answer at HC!

Your quote that I bolded was about the roster, so my reply was about the roster! The bulk of the stars on the team are all still from the Jauron era! Again, the Bills only made like 5 player moves in 2010. Remember the Buddy Nix line when free agency opened for that year. "I'm going to get some sleep" The result was RT Cornell Green, Reggie Tobor and LB Akin Ayodele! What a clusterfck! 2010 result was 4-12 because Nix didn't do a very good job ,and Gailey didn't help with DC George Edwards trying to switch defensive schemes.Not to mention Gailey hiring a bunch of college coaches that needed to learn how to coach at the NFL level. 2011 was better but the failure of Nix to add depth to that O line, plus Nix allowed DC George Edwards to keep his job and keep the team in a 3-4 scheme resulted in 6-10. Adding that Chan Gailey seemed determined to cut his own throat with his moronic play calling the 2nd half of last season. Not sure if it was contrived to get a better draft pick, sure seemed desperate tho. I still fail to understand why the pass rush and O line were not properly addressed in 2010. Just understand that Nix allowed that move to a 3-4, allowed the hire of George Edwards. Perhaps the reason was to bottom out the franchise to rebuild it properly? I dunno. What I do know is karma can be a B word. Did the Bills screw themselves by committing solely to Fitz, by not moving up in the draft to get tallywhacker, by not going after Matt Flynn in free agency? Is the right side of that O line strong enough? Do they still need a #2 WR? Anyway, Yea I agree and really applaud what Buddy Nix did with the scouting dept and org.(Nix getting rid of Modrak was almost as good as the day RW fired jauron) Plus I applaud the draft and free agency this year. Just don't know why it took so long.

I had thought you were much more knowledgeable about the Bills then from what I'm reading here. You mostly just sound like sour grapes to me.

Yea, too bad Nix didn't start that rebuild on the O line two years ago... Anyway, like other posters have already mentioned, a better option at #2 WR and tight end. The Bills are still lacking that develop from scratch rookie QB. Still not happy with Pears and Ubrik at RT and RG, unless they move Hairston to RT.

. But in fact the roster still hasn't been rebuilt from top to bottom, most of the offensive starters and stars are all from the Jauron era. When Nix first took over one of his statements was "your not going to believe this, but were are not that far away" Buddy Nix only changed like 5 players from that 2010 season and only 3 starters on opening day from what I see. Those 3...LB Reggie Tobor, LB Akin Ayodele, RT Cornell Green. Where are they now? The 2011opening day team difference LB Nick Barnett, LB Kirk Morrison, TE Scott Chandler, OT Erik Pears, OG Kraig Urbik, WR David Nelson, DT Marcell Darius. 7 players out of 22 doesn't consist of a complete rebuild from top to bottom IMO. 5 of those 7are waiver wire pick ups But I agree with you in saying that this year should be very telling. Nix did his job this year in finally bringing in a top pass rusher / LT. Now its up to Gailey to get the wins. Excellent post. Thank you! Good to know someone else agrees with me on that subject

I had never figured you to be one who is stuck on degrading ex Buffalo Bills players like so many fans do in this forum because they played on bad teams. I blame the coaches for all those years of losing. I also blame the owner for not wanting to spend the money to hire a top GM, a top HC, a top president.

Perhaps, If the guy lives long enough to fully develop. Lets not forget that this kid needs some time. Its for certain that tallywhacker is going to have good protections with 2 #1's at the tackle positions. The NFL is still a team game tho, I don't see a great team around any Dolphins QB at this point. Wait, who is the star WR for the Phins? Fitz is only going to be as good as the team around him! Will there be enough protection to allow deeper throws, and more time in the pocket? Will the Bills find a player that can step into that #2 WR spot and make some plays? Will the TE stay healthy all year?

The word Bust has nothing to do with Levy and Jauron whatsoever! It has to do with someone proclaiming a 6 year starter a bust because that player never lived up to his expectations...or yours! Do you understand how many players that have been drafted in the first round that never went on to be anything more then just journeymen at their respective positions? Do you both not understand the concept of playing on a bad team, with bad coaching and in a horribly bad scheme. I don't blame the player or players for the losing, and not making plays. I blame the coaches!!! I have given you my definition of what a bust is, and it will never be a 6 year starter, no matter what team he played on. Or a 2x or 3x 1000 yard rusher. I love Marcell Darius, but it was almost literally impossible for Nix to screw up that #3 overall pick because of the 5 blue chippers in that draft. In regards to that Redskin game. yea, it was one of his best so far with 2.5 sacks, and 4 tackles. But also remember that John Beck stated that game, most of that starting Redskin O line was out due to injuries. The Skins didn't have their starting RB in Hightower and starting WR in Moss. The Bills defense dominated that game by limiting the Redskins to 178 yards of offense and 10 first downs. The Bills had 9 sacks that day. Jairus Byrd also had a sack and an INT. The Washington offense was in complete shambles that day and the Bills D took advantage of it. Although one game out of 16 doesn't make a season, or define it. Lets not forget that Nix / Gailey went 4-12 to get Darius No offense Bill but you seem to be fixated on Levy / Jauron, not me. Why is it tho that those two managed to win more games? 7-9 for 3 years in a row. Why did it take 3 years and 100 million dollars to finally land a pass rusher? Why did it take 3 years to finally address the O line, and its still not completely rebuilt. Why does the team trade away its #2 WR and then not replace him?

I'm still waiting to see that bolded part on the field in terms of wins. There is no question that in 2012 the Bills FO finally made some good moves in the draft and free agency. But Gailey / Nix had 2 previous years to rebuild the team and made some pretty bad moves from what I see. 2010- all the team needed was a pass rusher and a solid RT to do better then 4-12. Instead they neglected both positions in the draft. Then hired a tool of a DC in George Edwards to run the defense. He revamped it from a 4-3 to a 3-4 without the proper personnel to make that adjustment, and the result was the worst defense against the rush in the history of the 50 year franchise. Nix brought in one of the very worst free agent accusations Ive ever seen in RT Cornell Green. The Bills made no real effort to bolster the pass rush except bring in a guy who was dumped because of a history of injury problems. Did Nix think his coaching staff could honestly resurrect Maybin and Merriman? The draft and free agency from that year have to be about as bad as any I've ever seen. That entire 2010 draft looks like a complete waste and is filled with real busts. I look at the Spiller pick and think of NYG DE Jason Pierre Paul. What a colossal waste of a first rounder that has been a back up for 2 years on a team so desperate for a pass rusher / OT. result 4-12. 2011 the team STILL needed a pass rusher / OT help. a proper backup center, and #2 WR, TE. The Bills had a proper backup center in Geoff Hangartner and cut him. Hangman went back to Carolina where he started at RG and played the entire season for them. The result of not having adequate depth on that O line cost them dearly in several games. Recall watching that Miami game with Levite at center, they couldn't even get a decent snap off.... It was shameful. DC George Edwards was retained for 2011 and nothing much changed except for the defense finally getting some turnovers. result 6-10 When you field a team that is 4-12 to 6-10 it generally means that any decent player drafted or acquired in free agency should step right in and be an upgrade and make an instant impact . The only player that stepped right in and started was Marcell Darius , the #3 overall While I couldn't stand Dick Jauron and was very vocal about it in this forum, and in other forums. That multi year record of 7-9 is still better then anything Nix / Gailey have yet to accomplish... I still lack faith in Chan Gaileys offense after watching what happened the 2nd half of last year. Once teams shut down that short passing game the Bills had nothing else and kept trying to force that short game to work. The Bills are still in need a #2 WR, a better option at TE, more depth on the O line. Should Graham become the #2 WR and deep threat that the Bills a lacking at this point. The lack of quality talent at RT & RG might show itself this season when Fitz needs 5 seconds to throw that deep out. Of course the QB will get all the blame and Nix ? Gailey will retain their jobs a few more years while they draft a "franchise" QB. I define teams / years in terms of wins...not the likability of coaches -GM

And thru all this what you fail to realize is...that over the last decade the Buffalo Bills coaches have been just about as miserable as their draft selections. You can select a player in the first round and that doesn't automatically mean that player is a pro bowler on his own. The Bills have been equally inept at coaching up talent as they have been in selecting talent. Perhaps in your mind a bust is someone who didn't live up to your expectations. A bust in my mind is someone who failed to perform at the NFL level in the aspect for which they were drafted. McCargo fits that. Aaron Maybin fits that while a Buffalo Bill. Doesn't it strike you as odd that players like Jaberi Greer and Jim Leonhard can be cast offs from the Buffalo Bills and become starters and stars on other teams. Maybin couldn't get a sack to save his life while in Buffalo, and yet gets 6 sacks with the Jets. IDGAF how he got those 6 sacks, its the entire reason the Bills wasted a #1 pick on him, not to mention the 11th overall in 2009. Ryan Leaf vs Peyton Manning. But then you have guys like Joey Harrington and David Carr that were both QB's selected in the first round that never lived up to their NFL expectations of becoming a "franchise" QB. Shoot, they both became backups that never amounted to much. You could define them as "busts"! A player selected in the first round that has preformed well and has been the starter at his position for his entire 6 year career is not a bust, not in any sense of the word. You also mention Antowain Smith as a bust which is ridiculous. The guy left the Bills and became the starting RB for the super bowl champion NE Patriots, a 1000+ yard rusher with 2 super bowl rings. Even as a BB he managed an 1124 yards rushing in 1989 with 16 GS and 14 games played. Was it his fault the Bills failed to utilize him properly in his career with the Bills? RB Sammy Morris is another player the Bills failed to get the most out of and yet he went on to play for the Dolphins, Patriots and Cowboys and have a 12 year career. When the average lifespan for an NFL player is 3 years. BTW, Whitner left the Bills because he wanted to leave, not the other way around. I still don't consider a 6 year starter a bust, and never will. What people forget is that the Bills had just cut S Lawyer Milloy, and were desperate for a safety at that time. Plus they didn't have a 2nd round pick. If the Bills had decent talent evaluators they could have taken all pro S Roman Harper, who the Saints took in the 2nd round that year.... or kept Milloy and drafted DT Ngata who was the preferred choice by many Bills fans. In 2009 Brian Orakpo instead of Maybin But, this is what you get with a perennial losing franchise, bad coaching, bad decisions,and players that don't live up to expectations on bad teams with bad schemes. If a 6 year starter is someone you consider a bust. Then what do you consider a player selected with the #9 overall that has been a backup player for 2 years? What would it take for him to not be a bust? Clearly 2x 1000 yard rushing seasons won't do it because Antowain Smith did that along with getting 2 SB rings and you define him as a bust. Plus Smith was selected in the first round, 23rd overall. So then, does that make C Eric Wood a bust? Drafted in the first round, 28th overall and played 10 games in 09, 14 games in 2010, 9 games in 2011. only 33 out of 48 games.

Fitz didn't let me down last season, the play calling did! Then after the season when I found that Fitz was honestly injured during the Redskin game in week 8, it even magnified the situation in my view. How does the playcaller keep calling for shotgun, empty backfield 4-5 WR sets with one good WR and a banged up QB the last half of the season? Even when RB Freddy Jackson was healthy and doing good during some games he was underutilized in games, as was Spiller later on. It seemed that every time the Bills would lose the lead the play caller would go in an all out desperation mode trying to catch up or get the lead. The opponent would then pin their ears back and blitz Fitz and go into constant nickle and dime coverages. So Fitz was constantly throwing right into the teeth of the defense. This constant pass happy tactic was the very last thing I expected out of an experienced NFL play caller and was exactly the same stuff we all saw with rookie OC's in Turk Schonert & AVP. It was particularly disappointing considering how the season started with Fred Jackson dominating games on the ground. I realize the LT position was banged up early on, but it should be far easier to run block then to pass block. The wheels came off completely against the Jets in week 9 when center Eric Wood went out for the year, the Bills were never the same after that game. It looked like opposing teams had figured out how to defend the Bills short, quick passing scheme and the Bills OC had no plan B, and didn't want to build a dedicated running attack. It was the same stuff almost every game after that, the Bills lose the lead and go into complete desperation passing mode, and don't use the running game very often.... even when its working very well. I gotta hand it to Fitz that he was able to even play at all. Cracked ribs are the most painful injury, you can't even breathe. Every move is painful. I can't imagine trying to throw so much and so often. Both Fitz and Stevie Johnson get the iron-man award for last seasons gut it out performances while playing with very difficult injuries.

NFN, but you can argue about busts till the cows come home and all it does is kill any credibility you have when you state a player like Donte Whitner is a bust. Understand that the Buffalo Bills wanted to resign the guy, and he took less money when he went to the niners! He chose to leave the Bills, otherwise he would still be the starting safety for the Buffalo Bills! Can you blame the man, he left a 4-12 team to go to a 13-3 team. Whitner is a 6 year starter with 84 game starts over those 6 years, and was constantly making the tackles that were missed by the Bills players in front of him. Like I stated in my earlier post in this thread...." If anything the Bills have proven they don't know how to get production out of many many players. Jaberi Greer with a NO Saints SB ring on his finger ring any bells?" "Donte Whitner because the Bills drafted him with a #1 pick when the rest of the NFL world had him graded as a 2nd or 3rd rounder. Was that his fault he was drafted so high and coached so badly in Buffalo? Like I said, Donte just started on a 13-3 team that lost in the playoffs to the team that won the SB." Whitner made a hit against the Saints last year in the playoffs, caused a fumble and knocked out their starting RB for the rest of the game. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UEzJM1nWr38 I consider an actual "bust" someone like John McCargo who was a #1 pick by the Buffalo Bills. McCargo was another player like Whitner graded as a 2nd / 3rd round pick by the rest of the world that the Bills "brain farting" scouting dept thought should be drafted in the first round. So the Bills actually traded up to select him 26th overall in the 2006 draft. In college McCargo played with Mario Williams at NC state and the prevailing thought at OBD was that the reason Super Mario was so good was because of his teammate at DT in McCargo. While the rest of the world with normal brains though it was the other way around. In his 5 year career with the Bills McCargo started ONE game! Now that's a bust!

Because for whatever reason Chan Gailey doesn't utilize the TE very often in his offense as a receiving target, and never has. I'm kinda surprised that Chandler saw as many passes as he did last season. Then looking at the amount of targets to each Bills receiver and the actual catches the Bills should be throwing to Chandler every chance they get. But yea I agree, Schiancoe was a favorite outlet for Brett Farve 11 TD's in 2009. The problem is he turns 32 in June and from what I've read he wants to be paid like he is a top 5 TE, and with only 5 TD's the last 2 years, he isn't even close. The Vikings chose to let him walk as they signed John Carlson away from the Seahawks, who in turn chose to sign Kellen Winslow. The Bills currently have 6 TE's on the roster, and Scott Chandler at 3 years experience has the most experience of all of them. It's to bad the Bills don't play some hard scrimmages in the off season to see if any of these young guys can actually play or not.

The OP may be a troll, or perhaps he has some legit thoughts about the lack of talent on the offense....for good reason. This franchise hasn't seem a winning season since 2002, and that was 8-8 Let's face facts, quite a few of the players on this team are waiver wire cast offs and late rounders who finally came into their own. How many pro bowlers on this offense....NONE? In my view there is a lot of talent on this team and has been for awhile. Bad teams rarely have pro bowlers on them unless a particular player is a having a standout season, even then most players do not usually get recognized for their play on bad teams. ie, London Flectcher, Takeo Spikes both tackling machines lost in obscurity many many years. It just takes a good coach to utilize the talent properly, motivate them, and give them great schemes to play in. I look back to the late 70's and the Chuck Knox years and think about how a single man came into the org and was such a supreme motivator that he managed to get a bunch of nobody's into the playoffs in two years. This one man was able to overcome a bad GM, bad ownership, bad schemes, and players that were used to hanging their heads when things went wrong. Knox brought in a few older players who were past their prime, but were winners and were able to be very vocal in the locker room as leaders. I now look at Chan Gailey and see a team that has changed from terribly bad schemes, and players getting stupid penlites on the worst occasions to a more disciplined team with a much better offensive scheme. While I'm not entirely convinced that Gailey will be able to get this team into the playoffs. However, I am convinced he can take this team to a winning season. He was on his way last season until devastating injuries to two players that were playing at pro bowl levels in Fred Jackson and Eric Wood.This team still is lacking top talent at a few positions and lack in good quality depth at many positions. Plus they still need to find a better option at TE and #2 WR. Perhaps the Bills will find that #2 WR this year in Easly or Graham. One thing is for certain, the clusterfook on the defensive side is over. Trying to get 4-3 players to fit a 3-4 scheme experiment is gone along with its maker in George Edwards. Dave Wannastache is an experienced veteran NFL defensive coach who knows how to build a proper 4-3 defense. Its now up to Chan Gailey to get the most out of his players no matter what their past history, 3 years should be enough to see if this man can field a winning team.

I don't worship the man, but I do admire him for what he accomplished during his time with the Buffalo Bills. Marv's claim to fame was that he was a special teams coach for George Allen's Rams and Redskins, Marv was never an OC or DC afaik. I can recall the Bills hiring him in 86 after they fired Bullough mid season. I immediately read everything I could on the guy and saw that he tried to run the wing -T while as HC in KC I'm thinking oh. no! They went from Kay Stephenson / Hank Bullough with Jim Ringo as OC to another tool for HC. But then I read that Marv coached the Chiefs for 5 season and they got better every year until the strike year. Then I also read that Levy won 2 grey cups with the Alouettes. He was also the head coach of the USFL Chicago Blitz for a season. Marv was a great head coach as he hired some really good assistant coaches, and let them do their jobs without interfering. Marv was a supreme motivator, and over the course of his career with the Buffalo Bills had some amazing sayings that are now known as "Marvisms" He used to take a quote from the ballad of Sir Andrew Barton said it to his players. "Fight on, my men," says Sir Andrew Barton, "I am hurt, but I am not slain; I'll lay me down and bleed a while, And then I'll rise and fight again. At the start of a game Marv would say.... "Where else would you rather be, then right here, right now!" "Ability without character will lose. The Buffalo Bills are going to be a team of high character." A reporter once asked Marv, At one time you hid your age, now you seem to celebrate it. What happened? I came out of the closet on it, I guess. Way back when I was hired in 1986, I was 61 years of age, and it sounded too old so I lied and said I was 58. Finally I cleared that up. Maybe as I matured I came to realize it wasn't a factor. It's what you can do that counts. "Norm Pollom (the former Bills chief college scout) is a good personnel man and a good friend of mine. He said, "If we take this guy, he's going to go to the Pro Bowl.' I said, Well, let's take somebody who's going to take us to the Super Bowl. And we picked Shane Conlan." "I'm old enough to know my limitations and I'm young enough to exceed them." "If you don't change with the times, the times are going to change you." "If you listen to the fans, you will end up being one." "They say two things happen when you get older. One is you begin to forget things . . . and I can't remember what the other one is right now." "don't be dumb, don't be dirty" "Great football coaches have the vision to see, the faith to believe, the courage to do... and 25 great players." "Security comes from earning it--not seeking it." "Systems don't win, players do." "Adversity is an opportunity for heroism." "The harder you work, the harder it is to surrender." "What it takes to win is simple, it's not easy." "Plan your work and work your plan." "If you have everything prepared, the rest will take care of itself." "What you do should speak so loudly that no one will hear what you say." "Expect rejection, but expect even more strongly to overcome it." "There will be many failures sprinkled among the successes you enjoy." "A failure becomes just one time at bat if you refuse to let it defeat you." No other head coach has done more for the Buffalo Bills then what Marv levy has done in his 11 year career with the Bills, nobody else is even close.JMO Probably why RW asked an 81 year old Marv Levy to be his GM in 2006 Edit: wanted to add one I had forgotten. "when its to tough for them, Its just right for us"

The Biggest problem of this franchise since John Butler / Bill Polian has been the lack of ability to even identify good talent at all, at almost any position. I suppose a premise could be made that it was easier to identify the talent in RB's & DB's vs other positions. So perhaps that is why the team went that way so many times, or perhaps because this owner saw what OJ Simpson and Thurman Thomas did for his franchise he will always want to draft RB's with that #1 pick. The Bills tried to draft their franchise QB when they traded back up into the first round for JP Losman.... it certainly didn't help to have so many coaching changes (bad coaches), scheme changes(bad schemes) during Losman's career in Buffalo. Two things make me think the Bills might be finally moving in the right direction. First, is the fact that the Bills (Buddy Nix stated such) would have selected Cam Newton if he had been available. This is significant in the fact that they didn't think any other QB was worth that #3 overall in 2010. Plus the fact that they didn't go QB again this year tells me they must think enough of Fitz to not be pulling the trigger on drafting any QB. It also tells me that the Bills now have finally the ability to actually identify top QB talent when they see it. Second, the fact that Buddy Nix was able to obtain Mario Williams at 100 mill shows me that the team finally wants to win again, rather then just put butts in seats and make a profit. We still need to see if what the Bills have done this off season equates to wins Bill, you keep blasting guys like Donte Whitner because the Bills drafted him with a #1 pick when the rest of the NFL world had him graded as a 2nd or 3rd rounder. Was that his fault he was drafted so high and coached so badly in Buffalo? Like I said, Donte just started on a 13-3 team that lost in the playoffs to the team that won the SB. Whitner is pretty far from a bust. If anything the Bills have proven they don't know how to get production out of many many players. Jaberi Greer with a NO Saints SB ring on his finger ring any bells? Marv Levy didn't gain any power or draft any DB's! However, the GM at that time John Butler did, Dick jauron did. For all we know Jauron is still having nightmares of Tom Brady throwing deep to Randy Moss for TD after TD. Marv Levy is a HoF HC who was asked by his old friend and onwer of the Buffalo Bills Ralph Wilson to come to Buffalo and be his GM. From what I've read Levy only returned because he thought he had a chance to become a head coach again. I would suggest redirecting all that pent up hate of Marv Levy to the man who asked him to be the GM, the man who allowed Dick Jauron to be de facto GM for 2 years. The man who allowed his team to be run by people who should have never been in charge of a sock drawer much less a billion dollar org.

Not only Whitner being a starting safety his entire career, last year he played on a 13-3 team that won up to the NFC championship game. NWIH is Whitner a bust! Antoine Smith went to the Patriots after he left the Bills and he took them to a SB win as the starting RB. Lynch took his new team to the playoffs last year. The Seahawks were happy as hell to get him for a measly 4th. Aaron Maybin drafted with a first round pick specifically as a pass rusher and the Bills couldn't get one sack outta him in his 2 years in Buffalo. Gets picked up by the Jets and gets 6 sacks! A bust is John McCargo, 1st round pick that didn't do a GD thing his entire career, and still hasn't! I think this thread speaks more about the Bills coaches then it does about the GM, to me coaching is everything. Nix screwed up big time in his first Bills draft and free agency period. From a #1 pick at RB that has been a back up for 2 years with a team desperate for starters at so many positions to Cornell Green at RT! Can we all stop comparing a GM that still hasn't had a winning season to a certain HoF GM. The Bills have had bad coaching, bad GM's, bad head of scouting since John Butler / AJ Smith left for SD, and so far Nix / Gailey have yet to prove that has changed. It has more to do with an owner who didn't care if his team won or not during the decade 2000-2010 more then anything else. Worst post I've ever read from ya EA

Couple things to consider...that team went on to win the SB. The Bills lost Parrish early, and nobody has stepped up to be a decent 2nd or 3rd WR. Defending one good WR is so easy for most secondary's, and it gets tougher the more good receivers you have. Kinda why teams like the Patriots and Packers can throw with so much success. Its not just they have a great QB, they also have great receiving corps. Welker was #2 in the NFL last year in receiving yards and Gronk was 6th. While Rodgers spreads the ball around so much that no one receiver is usually in the top ten. When the Bills had Lee Evans on the field the opposing defenses had to roll coverages towards him because he had a reputation for the deep ball and teams didn't ever want to get burned by that long bomb. So that opened up the underneath and middle. With Evans gone it was all underneath quick stuff that is sorta easy to defend. Probably the reason why the Bills went after a TJ Graham in the 3rd. By the Bills choosing that 3rd round pick tells me they missed the threat of Evans on the field, while perhaps not missing that particular player. I just hope this new QB coach* doesn't make Fitz stop and think about his every move, everything needs to become instinct and instant reactions. Lastly, I gotta wonder if the Bills did enough this off season to get more weapons for Fitz. Buddy Nix counting on Easley and Graham and they might not be enough.

Just having a winning season at 8-8 or 9-7 would be a start and prove to me that this coaching staff can get it done. Gailey needs to show that the win against the Patriots was not a fluke, and the Bills can beat teams in the division on a regular basis. The only way this franchise is ever going to be a contender again is to be able to compete against Belichick / Ryan ...and win.

You are not in the minority. This year the DB's shouldn't need to spend 8 seconds in coverage or most of the game on the field back peddling. Last year the lack of pass rush made every QB the Bills played against look like a future HoFer.