thewildrabbit

Unreal isn't it? Its not just the reporters looking for something to stir up, its also the fans here.

There is a reason why this site doesn't allow a link from the bleacher report. No reason to think that Stevie with a healthy year, and a better WR coach* can't find his 2010 form as the #11 WR in the NFL 82 receptions, 1073 yards, 10 TDs. What will help his production greatly is finally fixing that O line, and thus giving EJ a chance to complete more passes.

and what if pigs fly...and what if I win the lottery....and what if i get a date with January Jones....and what if.. So far it hasn't worked in Detroit or Philly, and I know why. Its kinda stupid for a defense to spread itself out on its own.

To the OP. No, I don't think the Bills will be lucky enough, or smart enough to get an elite OT in the first round at #9, In either Matthews / Robinson. So, All I can do is hope that the Bills get lucky in the second round and find another Cordy Glenn for the right side. I'm not the only person on the planet that thinks the RT position is a huge need: Football Outsiders thinks the Bills biggest need is OT. http://www.footballoutsiders.com/four-downs/2014/four-downs-afc-east Run blocking was not a strength of the offensive line, especially to the outside, and right tackle Erik Pears in particular could be the player replaced in the draft by a top prospect like Greg Robinson (Auburn) or Jake Matthews "" According to them the Bills were #16 in run blocking, and 28th in pass blocking. Which really sucks if a team is trying to develop rookie QB's The reason I want to see an elite OT drafted early is because there tend to be a great falling off of players actually becoming great in that position after the 10th pick. Also, most defenses will put their best pass rusher on the opposing teams weakest OT. Another reason is the Bills have a very young QB corps, and I for one would like to give them the very best chance to develop behind a top line. Some draft analysts state that there are 7 OT's in the top 50 prospects, and so with that said there should a decent OT in round #2. Another position of great need is at offensive guard.IMO The Bills can perhaps get by with RG Urbik as his play might improve with a better tackle next to him. But that LG situation needs a serious upgrade, and hopefully in the 2nd or 3rd round. My dream draft my be something like (TE Eric Ebron at #9), (OT Zack Martin or OG Cyril Richardson at #41) depending on who is there at #9 of course. Man I like the way you think

Three of the top four players in last years draft were all OT's, and all three played RT Chiefs, OT Eric Fisher played RT- playoffs Jags, OT Luke Joeckel played RT Dolphins, OLB Eagles, OTLane Johnson played RT-playoffs Lions, DE Browns, OLB Cardinals, OG Jonathan Cooper- finished 10-6 St Louis, WR Jets, CB Titans, OG Chance Warmack Chargers, OT DJ Fluker, played RT- playoffs So, out of the first 11players taken in last years draft four were OT's, two were OG's. You figure it out!

and when you do just that you will see that as long as he had a fierce pass rusher in DE Jevon Kearse, his defensive schemes were solid. Without him they sucked. The Bills have more then one good edge pass rusher now, in Super Mario, Jerry Hughes. So not to worry...unless he starts in with that "wide-nine' poop!

This is exactly what I've been saying about the O line since the Bills let Andy Levitre leave for Tennessee. You know, the man who was graded as the best pass blocker on that line in 2012. The best pass blocking OG in the NFL for that matter. Then the Bills replaced a blue green player at LG for a big fat red one, and his backup was also a big fat red. How on earth is that rookie QB supposed to develop properly behind that PoS offensive line? Anyway, Rob Quinn is closer to the real picture somewhat, and even he is flawed because Fred Jackson, CJ Spiiller are so dark blue they are almost purple. Plus, center Eric Wood's play would be enhanced with better players on either side. WR I'd say a lot depends on if this Bills coaching staff / FO thinks that Stevie can regain his old form with a healthy season and better coaching. LG Huge blunder with Levitre considering they are starting a rookieQB . OG #2 or #3 pick in the draft RT biggest need and should addressed with that #9 pick if one of the top three OT's are still on the board. To back my thoughts up: READ THIS! http://www.footballo...-downs-afc-east "Football Outsiders is considered an industry leader in using statistical data to analyze NFL teams, and has been for years. They're using their data from the 2013 season to determine the biggest positional need for each team. For theBuffalo Bills, a team with several prominent holes, they have chosen offensive tackle as the team's biggest need area." http://www.buffaloru...ars-cordy-glenn So yea, the biggest needs on the team are LG-RT-RG-WR and in that order.JMO P.S. I love to see stuff like this ....Oh BTW...

Hackett ran a version of a WCO, and the QB were supposed to get the ball out quickly. The QB's had problems, the WR's had problems, the O line had problems. So considering all that, Hackett did better then I thought he would. I was devoutly in his corner right up until the Chiefs game, as he lost me in that game with his handling of Jeff Tuel. Anyway, he was an NFL rookie coach who was clearly overloaded with three rookie QB's, and no QB coach. His excuses run out this off season tho.

Not really, look at the stats for the Lions pass defense, and pass rush. Which is exactly what the "wide-nine" defense is supposed to improve. If that is the case then why did the Lions defense suck so bad at both? Afaik teams were running at the C & D gaps between the tackle and DE, as the DE stance is out over the TE. Which IMO is sort of moronic, and I'll tell ya why I think that. Think about something for a min. Teams run a spread offense for what purpose? To spread the defense out over the length of the field in order to open up vertical seems for both passing and running that the offense can exploit, as the defense is spread more thin. Doesn't the "wide-nine" do that for the offense? By spreading the DE out further from the QB. To me all this defense does is allow the O linemen a quicker path to the second level defenders. 2009 Lions defense 32-32 pts-yds 2010 Lions defense 19-21 2011 Lions defense 23-23 2012 Lions defense 27-13 2013 Lions defense 15-16 All I gotta say is, this board will explode by week 5 if the Bills defense stinks as bad as the Lions have stunk under Schwartz.

Yea, because they started focusing on defending the run because they were so bad at it. Look up the stats for their recent pass rush, and pass defense... OK I'll tell ya, they were 26th against the pass, 30th in sacks. IMHO the wide-nine also got the DC canned in Philly where he tried to run it. Putting it bluntly, IT SUCKS! I'm hoping Schwartz goes back to his roots with Buddy Ryan's 46 defense.

I see Matthews currently ranked between the 6th & 8th best WR. With Mike Evans, Marquise Lee, Allen Robinson, Odell Beckham Jr all ahead of him. Drafttek has the Bills selecting WR Robinson with the 41st pick in the second round. http://www.drafttek.com/2014-NFL-Mock-Draft-Round2.asp While Matthews is related to Jerry Rice (cousin), I suppose we will need to wait until the combine to get some final grades.

In those games I mentioned above the Bills couldn't pass or run very well with any QB behind center, as it wasn't just EJ looking playing bad. What happened was the team came out trying to run the ball, and when that failed miserably. They then put the onus on the QB to make plays. Sometimes EJ managed to make plays, and sometimes he didn't. My point here is that if the Bills had been able run the ball well enough the first few plays, and to gain a first down or get to a third and short situation. That it would then allow the passing offense an easier way to open up, and thus making life for the Bills QB so much easier. The Bills were one of the very worst teams in the NFL in ball control. 25th in three and out percentage. 29th in 3rd down efficiency. 31st in first down efficiency. What wins games is being able to control the line of scrimmage and control the clock with the offense in both passing and running. The Bills were one of the worst teams in the NFL in that regard as they were #28th in the league in sustaining drives. 214 drives, and 53 were 3 downs and out. The Bills were also 29th in 3rd down efficiency, and most importantly in my view they were 30th in sustaining drives of more then 5 minutes, as they only had 10 all season. EDIT: Believe whomever, whatever you want. Just realize this, that the Bills have been losing and out of the playoffs for 14 years. They last made the playoffs with Doug Flutie / Rob Johnson at QB, and between the two of them had only two NFL season where they made the playoffs in 1998-1999. I firmly believe there is a correlation between having bad O lines the last 14 years, and not winning many games. Which is also something that has not allowed any Bills QB to be successful during all that time.

I'm not really keen on building that line via free agents, as I seem to recall a complete waste of money back in 2006 on two high priced bums. I get visions of more bums and wasted money with linemen in free agency this year. What I'd love to see is a RT at #9, and an OG with the 2nd or 3rd pick, or if they can find another Cordy Glenn for the right side with the #2 I wouldn't squawk. Building that line the very best they can in order to develop EJ properly. To those that think that only the LT should be drafted in the first round. How does that stop teams from moving their best pass rusher to the right side to beat up on the weak link at RT? But yea, LG & RT need a upgrade for sure.

Some of the folks posting in this thread are conveniently forgetting what the O line looked like against the NY Jets in that first game in week three. EJ sacked 8 times for -35 yards. Spiller held to 9 yards on 10 carries. Forgetting what they looked like against the Saints in week 8. They were blown out in a 17-35 loss. Lewis sacked 4 times. Fred Jackson 15 rushes for 45 yards. Forgetting what they looked like against the Steelers in week 10. They were dominated at the LoS by a 3-6 team. Pittsburgh held them to 3 points for most of the game, and they finally scored at TD with 5 seconds on the clock. Forgetting what they looked like against the Buccaneers in week 14. They were dominated by that Buc's D at the LoS by a 4-9 team. EJ sacked 7 times. Fred Jackson 5 rushes for 12 yards- Spiller 11 rushes for 22 Forgetting that 3 of the 5 players on that O line graded in the red against their biggest rival. The New England Patriots. This is huge in my view, as how can this team ever win the division is they can't play well against their biggest division rival? The best way for the QB to improve and eventually develop into a top QB is to give him the very best protection that you can. Give him a run game that doesn't only make big run now and again, and put up good numbers at the end of the year. Give him a run game that can actually control the LoS, and clock. While giving him the time in the pocket to complete the deeper throws. What good are TJ Graham's, Marquise Goodwin's deep speed if the QB doesn't have the time to always get him the ball? I don't see any Bills QB developing into a better QB if that line stays with the status quo, I don't see them winning many games either.

Funny how Lombardi now ends up in NE with his old pal. http://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2014/02/13/reports-michael-lombardi-to-join-patriots-front-office/ I wouldn't trust that guy as my GM for anything, as I would need to question if he has more then one agenda. Probably why he was out of work as a GM for so long. That said, I wouldn't be surprised to find that Robert Kraft had Tom Modrak on his payroll. Its almost impossible to be that bad at your chosen profession for that long. Then again Matt Millen managed it while with Detroit as their president / CEO for almost as long as Modrak was the Bills chief scout. Seven years 31-81 Lets see, Russ Brandon de facto GM to CEO 2008-2013 six years 35-61... Anyway, conspiracy theories aside. How does a franchise lose so much, and miss the playoffs for as long as the Buffalo Bills (14 years), Cleveland Browns(11 years), Oakland Raiders(11 years) St Louis Rams (9 years), and still survive in such a down turned economy? Why do the fans keep showing up for these teams?

I was in the stadium at the time, and was thinking this is gonna be tough, as Norwood didn't have that strong a leg to make a 47 yarder with any regularity. Plus this was on grass, and not the turf he was used to kicking on. He had the leg for that kick...wide right...heartbreaking! My kids were still crying when we got back to the house where we were staying. For those that love misery ... http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UT0r8wBL4QU

What you guys fail to realize is I highly doubt this team plans on spending money on a free agent of any sort. Eric Decker is a by product of Peyton Manning, so unless we can get Manning along with Decker its a NO! LT? The Bills have a very good LT in Cordy Glenn, and are desperate to upgrade the LG & RT positions. Draft some help for here. I wouldn't cry if the Bills drafted Mack, as long as they fix that O line at some point, or drafted a TE with the #2 pick. 9. Buffalo Bills Record: 6-10 Team needs: LB, TE, RT Analysis: The Bills could use another stud linebacker to line up next to Kiko Alonso. They could also look to add an athletic tight end for their young quarterback. http://www.nfl.com/news/story/0ap2000000288658/article/2014-nfl-draft-order-top-three-needs-for-all-32-teams Or, http://walterfootball.com/offseason2014buf.php LG-WR-ILB-TE Right Tackle: This isn't a pressing need, but Buffalo can do better than Erik Pears at right tackle. Chris Hairston is coming back next year, so he could start.

https://www.profootballfocus.com/blog/2013/12/30/refo-bills-patriots-week-17/ 15. Buffalo Bills (13th) PB: 11th, RB: 25th, PEN: 7th PB=pass blocking 11th , RB = run blocking 25th....correct? Now, these stats seem somewhat bizarre to me considering the Buffalo Bills were the #2 team in the NFL last season in rushing. The #1 team overall in rushing attempts. This tells me that the run blocking by the O line all season was one of the very worst in the league, and yet #2 in rushing? How does this happen? If you look around their website you find some rather interesting stats...Stock Down: Doug Legursky (-8.1, Q4 2013; -2.0, Q3 IMO the Bills need to finally upgrade RT-LG with some top draft picks, and if they want a player who can grade in the green against their biggest rival then they need a new RG too.

Its not the OC's fault for who takes the field. Its the GM's for not supplying the proper talent, and the HC in his failure to identify to the GM he had a problem on offense. There is a command order in the NFL , and afaik the OC doesn't report directly to the GM. The proverbial buck stops with Marrone. Thanks Alas, Its is more then one O lineman at fault here IMO. If you look at the Bills O lines performance against their biggest rival, the NE Patriots in the last game of the season. You would see that three of the five on that line graded in the red. The offensive line struggled that day. LG Doug Legursky (-2.1) RG Kraig Urbik (-2.1) RT Eric Pears (-2.5) If these players can't get a decent grade playing against their biggest rivals then WTF good are they? Seriously, What The F*** good are they? How on gods green earth do the Bills ever expect to win the division with a line filled with scrubs? "Buffalo – Three Performances of Note Offensive Line Struggles Three of the five starters up front graded in the red including left guard Doug Legursky(-2.1), right guard, Kraig Urbik (-2.1), and right tackle Erik Pears (-2.5)." https://www.profootb...triots-week-17/ FOOTBALL OUTSIDERS graded the Bills #16 in run blocking-28th in pass blocking. ** I tend to believe in this stat over what PFF states simply because the Bills were the #2 team in the NFL in rushing, and did they allow the 4th most hits on the QB, and 5th most sacks. http://www.footballoutsiders.com/stats Some Bills fans along with Bills management have had their head buried in the sand the past decade in regards to the offensive line. They tend to think that they can get by with mediocre players taken off the waiver wire or selected in the later rounds. Meanwhile the playoff teams have been drafting in the first three rounds to build their lines. The Bills will never be successful until they recognize that they need to build a dominate O line across the board to protect those young QB's, and to be able to run / pass the ball to control the LoS, and clock.

While I'm willing to give the guy a pass due to his rookie stupidity with several issues. He did have great difficulty's facing him with the QB's, the lack of production from his receivers, and the inadequate play of the O line. That line ranked 28th in pass protection, and it sure wasn't Hackett's fault he was left with Colin Brown, his backup in Sam Young, Erik Pears, and Doug Legursky on that line. That line was Marrone's fault for being out on the field and they regressed in several areas, including center. It was also Whaley's fault for allowing those bad players to take the field in the first place. That said the supposed coaching problems have been rectified, and so its up to those I mentioned to learn from their mistakes, and build that O line properly.

Hey, I like it.... other Bills fans thinking like me. With a more dominate O line EJ wouldn't need to a be a Manning or Brady just yet, and game managing QB Alex Smith took the Chiefs to the playoffs, as the NFL 17th best QB. Recall that Chiefs game where they didn't even score a TD on offense, as they won it with a defensive TD, and FG's. Think how bad that O line was this season, as only center Eric Wood, and Cordy Glenn graded in the green in that last game against the Patriots. Like the OP states a dominate O line would not only help EJ keep from being the 4th most hit QB, the 5th most sacked. It would also help the run game, and help keep the defense fresh and off the field. Isn't it the very smartest thing the Bills could to is play keep away from Tom Brady, and then when he finally gets the ball smack him in the mouth with that fresh defense.

By the same token OG's & centers have the second highest rating to make the pro bowl at 42.8%, next to safety's drafted in the first round who had 56.2%. I'm not certain of the actual bust rate. Dib. Dibs, Dub, or whatever his name did a detailed study of the first three rounds for all positions and stated that O linemen that are drafted in the first three rounds tend have longer careers. READ THIS: "The safety valve of the top 10 Offensive Tackle pretty much vanishes outside the top 10." http://nyjetscap.com/round13.html

probably on his face...right next to Cassel

Yea, tell that to Brian Sipe. Sam Rutigliano, and Marty Schottheimer.

I hear ya, as nobody is perfect. Look at what Al Davis paid a complete tool in JaMarcus Russell or the Bills paid Maybin