All_Pro_Bills

There won't be estate taxes at the time of death since ownership of the team would transfer to his wife. But as I understand the situation, Mrs. Wilson has no interest in managing or owning the team after Ralph passes. If Mr. WIlson's will transfers ownership to another family member or to a non-family member then that might be another story but I am not a tax accountant or estate attorney so I don't have a lot of insight into how that would be handled.

No argument the Bills need to generate a pass rush and they need to upgrade the DE and OLB positions. You give any NFL quarterback as much time and comfort as the Bills have afforded and you're going to get beat. That said I think the draft strategy boils down to value balanced with need rather than just need. If you're sitting at #10 and one of the tops LT's falls to you and relative to the DE's and OLB's on the board if the LT ranks higher you take him. To state the Bills don't need an upgrade at LT is to ignore the issues with the current LT's on the roster. Bell cannot stay healthy and Hairston might not have the footwork and athleticism to handle the QB's blind side. The Bills offensive approach hid the shortcomings in the O-line by utilizing 3 step drops, quick short passes, and generally pass plays where Fitz 'locked in' on a specific receiver rather than having time to go through any progressions.

Field position and turnovers will decide the outcome. A big special teams play by either team could be the difference. In the end I suspect the Steelers will win by a single digit margin of victory. I can't see either team making it past the next round. Watching quite a bit of the Steelers on the Sunday Ticket its hard to reconcile their play this year to a 13-3 record. They've seemed to be just good enough to win most of the time. And its been stellar play by Denver's defense that has allowed Tebow the opportunity to stage these comebacks. If he doesn't turn over the football they might keep it close.

I'm never clear on how reporters get a hold of the owners list of possible candidates but it is interesting that Whaley is included. He's unproven in the GM role both in his experience in Pittsburgh and Buffalo. The 'word' is Nix is stepping down after the draft in April and Whaley will assume the GM role with the Bills. I don't know what the terms of his contract are with the Bills but I assume there's some kind of standard escape clause if you're offered a job at a higher level with another team. Given a succession plan is in place with the Bills I am also not clear what wrinkle that might introduce into the mix here. This is clearly conjecture on my part at the moement but could this be a situation where the Bills could demand compensation for signing away their heir-apparent for the GM post? Like a #1 such as when Billichek bolted from the Jets to the Pats. So would you trade your new GM for Luck?

Been to several Pro hockey and basketball venues and agree this is the single most annoying aspect of the game experience. Used to be able to chat with other fans during the stoppages and now you can't hear anything other than blasting music. Put it to a vote at the gates and I wager 99% of fans would tell them to drop the music. Plus the stupid antics on the basketball court during time outs. Apparently some marketing guys somewhere are convinced that watching some clown shoot tee shirts into the crowd while loud music plays with flashing lights is entertainment. And then you've got the skating girls cleaning the ice between face offs. While I admit I don't mind seeing this as a coach I don't want my goalie being distracting by 5 or 6 chicks skating around him during the game. I want my goalie focused on the game not on some girl's back-end that just bent over in front of him with a shovel full of ice chips.

Not only from sales but watch any NFL game and count the number of beer makers and their commercials. The league and the networks make $100's of millions (if not billions) of dollars thru alcohol advertising. So there's no way they are going to ban beer sales in the stadiums. Frankly, I find the obnoxious drunk to be more of a nuisance at a game than somebody smoking. Once time while watching a game at home as the camera pans thru the crowd showing various fans, my wife asked, 'why don't they show a group of drunken a-holes fighting on the upper deck'? I answered, 'because the commerial sponsors won't like that'. I'm a non-smoker but I never had a problem with letting other's go for a smoke in a designated smoking area. IMO, governments are really hypocrites when it comes to smoking. They issue all kinds of decrees and bans against smokers but have taken billions in payouts from funds negotiated with cigarette companies via litigation. They even issue bonds to fund their pet projects, all backed by the future stream of income from these payments.

If you think Dareus and K. Williams are your 2 best defensive players then you should be playing a 4-3. That would lead to focusing the draft on the best-player-available at DE or OLB to improve the defense. Let see if the teams coaching staff and braintrust reaches the same conclusion that many here, including myself, believe is the most logical path to pursue...

For what its worth, watching a 49ers game (I can't recall which week it was) when the camera took a look at the bench, it looked like Donte added a significant amount of upper body strength between this and last season. I don't want to reach for conclusions because I have a lack of information but I'll throw the question out there. Could this be symptomatic (along with a lot of injuries) of the Bills needing to improve their strength and conditioning program? Anybody know how the Bills compare to the rest of the league here?

Bingo.

I understand what Mr. Wilson is saying. That it might take a 'several more years' to build a contender. In principal I have no problem with that statement. But in the context of the Bills the problem is we've heard this before. And the recent history of the team has not rewarded our patience. So why is this time going to turn out different?

Whether or not those negotiations begin, and what the result might be, should provide some insight into the future. I understand the value of the improvements is thought to be around $100 million. And is the county and state capable of providing that support? I assume one condition the government would insist on is that any investment in the facility be tied to a long-term lease commitment with also binds any potential buyer to adhere to the conditons and remain in the Buffalo market. Two things: 1) Would current ownership agree to such a clause? 2) What would that do to the sale value of the franchise?

If he was playing hurt and the Bills failed to report the injury would that be a violation of the NFL rules regarding the reporting of injuries?

I would agree except for the use of the term 'crackpot'. But don't you agree that generally those types of theories exist only because the conventional explanation is lacking in some respect? How do we explain that an organization, in a profession where the rules are designed to enhance competition, consistently under-performs its peers for over a decade? Defying the laws of probability in relation to the odds of success. The answer must be the organization is not seeking the same objectives as those the rules seek to support. In this case winning a championship on the field of play or at least competing for one. The bottom line is results. And I'm hard pressed to believe that this organization regards winning as any kind of primary objective. And the one constant through the entire era of ineptitude on the field has been Wilson/Overdorf/Littman. Whoever the GM is they'll be subject to the same constraints and oversight so I cannot see why anyone would expect significantly different results regardless of who held the position.

I agree with you in principal but a couple comments. 1) The concept that the 'bean counters' are really running the show can never be proven since if it was then the whole facade of how the organization functions would be revealed. To work it must not be public because if the fans 'knew' the team wasn't being run by the football guys making football decisions then support would disappear. 2) All we're talking about is a credible hypothesis about how the organization makes decisions based on the evidence we have, subject to interpretation by the observer. I don't think any of us can offer up enough 'evidence' to meet the 'beyond a reasonable doubt' threshold of judgment. IMO, a lot of the 'evidence' lends to the credibility of the idea that Ralph's finance guys are the real power behind all the major decisions at OBD. Do I know that for a fact without any firsthand knowledge of the decision process? No. Can I prove it beyond a reasonable doubt? Again, no. But using what events I can observe and what 'facts' I have available along with my personnal experiences, and some cognitive reasoning, plus a review of the events of the past 10 years or so (and looking around the league at successful organizations), it seems highly likely to me that there is an element of truth behind this hypothesis.

The Bills defensive game plan for each and every game is the same without much customization to suit the offense of a specific opponent. What it does is give the other team a high degree of certainty in what they are going to have to play against. This to me is a coaching and management issue.

You hit it. You are not rebuilding if you constantly create new needs, by letting good players go, and then spending draft choices or free agent money signing replacements. You are running in place playing a zero-sum game. When I read the OP the thought that came to mind was the Bills simply do not have a system in place that works. IMO, Buddy's last draft was good but to use some language consistent with his 'if you don't plug the drain the sink's ever gonna fill up'. Not re-signing Johnson will be a huge mistake..

Guess we need to define competitive. IMO, this team has not been competitive since the 2004 season when they couldn't beat the Steelers 2nd string to qualify for the playoffs. So I think it's a mistake to question fan support. Only a handful of fan bases would support a team stuck in such a streak of mediocrity and Bills fans can be counted among those few. And I think if a couple dollars more per ticket would assist in fielding a competitive product most Bills fans would be on board. The fact is the team’s fate is not certain. There's no guarantee they are moving or staying in Buffalo. There are many variables at play with the new owners the most critical. Look at Jacksonville. We all thought that team was on the way out with low attendance in a small market and lack of fan support, destined for LA. But a new owner comes in and apparently has a desire to make it work there even though he could make more money somewhere else besides Jacksonvile. That goes to show that not every potential owner or group is seeking maximum revenue and profit without regard for other objectives. So far he's saying and doing all the right things to this point (hope this link works). Don't be surprised if somebody like Jeff Fisher ends up here. http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2011/football/nfl/12/16/jaguars-khan.ap/index.html?sct=nfl_t2_a12 So with a long history in Buffalo and a fair number of well-heeled potential owners all is not lost when the time comes for ownership to pass to another party. And as many others have said in many treads in many ways, nothing is going to change to turn the results on the field around until that happens.

It got cold! Wow. While I don't live in WNY any longer (in NJ now) I cannot really recall people ever complaining or bemoaning about the cold and snow. It was just something you dealt with. If you want to, you can look at any place in the world and find negatives about the weather or life there in general. Things like: Hurricanes. Mud Slides Wild Fires Floods Droughts Oppressive 100+ degree heat at midnight (you can't even go outside) Earthquakes Tornados Red Necks Nobody that speaks English Religious fanatics Serial killers Traffic Generally uncivil social norms People who can’t figure out how to drive in snow! Here’s a clue – it’s slippery! Holiday wishes to Bills fans everywhere and perhaps another win before the end of the season.

Of course the size of the market matters and its going to be a factor but winning is one something that is going to assist you in reaching your maximum potential in that market. But how do you explain the difference between the Los Angeles Lakers and the Los Angeles Clippers? Both play in the same market and at the same venue. Yet one is highly followed while the other is an afterthought. Tradition plays a big role for sure but one is a winning organization and the other is a perenial loser.

Corporate sponsors marketing departments want to associate their company and products with a winner. Firms like Nike, Reebok, etc. If the Bills were winning they would attract a lot more corporate dollars than they are now. A firm does not needs its HQ in a city for it to market itself with a sports organization. For example, how many corporate HQ's are in Green Bay? Look at owners like Jerry Jones who many dislike. They know they value of winning in financial terms is going to be greater off the field than on the field. The Bills brass are content to milk maximum cash flow annually out of minimal effort. Honestly, is there a person among us that really believes that Bills' ownership and the front office (non-football guys) have any commitment to win or place any organizational priority on getting to the Super Bowl?

I think the debate over a franchise QB will rage on until the Bills actually find one. The discussion has been and continues to be a good and rational exchange of opinions and ideas. Do I think Fitz is a legitimate NFL QB? Yes, but I don't expect he'll ever play at or be considered elite. IMO, the question is not whether you need to draft a franchise QB or not. Ultimately, the solution is consistently hitting on your #1 selection regardless of the position. In next year's draft I have my preferences about which position to address that might differ from what others express here (I think we need a franchise LT, then go OLB). But you've got to hit on the selection and the player needs to be a starter and contribute. That's been the Bills problem for over a decade. Most of their #1's have been a swing and a miss. You won't win in any league in any sport with a front office operation that cannot make good draft selections..

Another factor to consider is the mental strain Maybin may have felt being here. 1st round pick, big contract, high expectations. The stress might have been too much for him to handle given his age and maturity level. With the Jets there was no immediate objective other than making the team. And I recall he was released initially but then re-signed later so the hand of fate had some role in the results for both the team and the player. It's all 'water under the bridge' now but given how woeful the Bills pass rush has been for what seems to be forever, I was never clear on why they didn't give the guy more reps. What would it hurt? None of the other potential OLB's were getting any pressure on the QB anyway so him not getting to the QB is pretty much what you get with the other options. The other factor is the 5 yr, $25 million deal. What were the numbers guys thinking? My bet is the bean counters couldn't stomach carrying that big number on the payroll for a player they didn't see the coaches utilizing. So like Evans, Hangartner, etc., the deciding factor might have been no more than a salary dump rather than anything else. But that's just my jaded view of the Bills dysfunctional front office organization coming through at the moment...

What Harrison's cheap shots boil down to is a lack of respect for his fellow players. And there's a big difference between headhunting and playing physical. When's it going to end? When he breaks somebody's neck and paralyzes the guy? I say next time its 8 games and fine the Steelers a percentage of their revenue sharing. That will get the point across.....

I agree you can't just let Johnson walk. You don't get better by creating more needs but rather by filling them. I like you're list but IMO we need a franchise LT. There are a few of them (Kalil - USC, Martin - Standford, Reiff -Iowa) rated near the top of the draft where the Bills can be expected to pick. I don't see any of the OT's on the roster filling this need. I like Bell but he can't stay on the field for more than 6 or 7 games a season and I think the Bills low sack's against total is more a function of the gameplan vs. the stength of their pass blocking.

Given everything is a function of price, for 5 to 7 million a season and control of personnel decisions he might re-evaluate that stipulation.