All_Pro_Bills

Agree with most with the exception of Bell. I won't argue about him playing the best of anyone on the O-Line but that's more of an indictment of the other members of the line than it is praise for Bell. On Packers sack #6 he engaged Matthews at the line of scrimmage and just got caught flatfooted with no arm extension as Clay Jr. just pushed him aside, took one step outside, and then jumped on the back of our QB. All in about 3 seconds of elapsed time. I've seen more contact on a first date good night kiss than on that play. This team simply has no NFL caliber OT's on the roster. On another subject, next years draft, on Saturday I watched a the Arkansas and Washington games to see two of the 'hot' QB prospects. On that day, IMO, neither of them look dominant or for that matter terribly impressive.

The other angle to consider is what the player is looking for. I break it out into 2 types of FA's (there might be others or subsets but to summarize): 1) Younger players, up and comers, at the end of their rookie deals looking for a big payday. 2) The seasoned veteran who's been displaced by a younger, cheaper alternative on his original team or has simply reached the time to move on for whatever reason. These players are looking for different things. In the 1st case, money. In the later, a chance to hook up with a contender to win a title before shuffling off into retirement a few years down the road. I think the record shows the Bills are willing to spend money, and have signed some big dollar contracts with FA's. Unfortunately the record also shows that money was not spent wisely as the performance of most of these players leads you to conclude the Bills overpaid. The other reasons for not attracting the #1 type FA are probably among those cited in the tread most of which seem pretty valid. The Bills as of the past ten years could not attract the #2 player. There might be 5 or 6 teams around the league that would attract this type of FA. Until the time when they turn it around and string together 3 or 4 winning seasons along with playoff appearances don't expect a lot of veteran FA to consider coming to the Bills. Putting yourself in their situation, you've got 2 or 3 years in the tank so are you going to spend it 'rebuilding' in Buffalo or take a chance at the SuperBowl right now with a contender? Easy choice.

I received two mailing from the Jets concerning season tickets. Uh, sorry dudes, I'm a Bills fan. A buddy of mine at work has Jets season tickets and was moved from the upper tier 50 yard line to the upper tier 5 yard line in the new stadium. After some time and seeing the viewing angle, he broke down and paid a $4K PSL per seat to move to the lower tier. And the team even had a financing plan to loan you the money for the PSL at a 'fan friendly' interest rate. Nice of them, right? All these unsold lower tier seats are going to hurt the teams home field advantage. In general, the corporate seat buyers at the bottom are not the ardent, hard-core fans. Gonna be a lot of noise generated from the 'real' fans in the upper tier but silence from the lower levels. And empty seats don't make noise for the defense on 3rd and long. That's good for us......

A team that has cronic problems with scoring (that in 2009 had 12 games with 20 or less points) drafts a player #1 with the potential to take it to the house each and every time he touches the ball is guilty of making a luxury pick? Sure there are other areas of need too but a luxury? The term is overused and inappropriate....

The Jets biggest weakness is their arrogance. They were 2-4 in division games last year. They won nothing last year. And the meter goes back to 0-0 every season. Its no sure thing that any of their offseason acquisitions are going to pan out anymore than it is for the Bills. They picked up two head cases at CB and WR. The fact that their old teams were willing to take very little for these 'stars' speaks loudly. Nobody seems to be listening to that message right now. Wait until they start screwing up under the NY media spotlight. And their free agent acquisitions while good players are past their prime. Looking at the Bills, the #1 problem they had against the Jets, and Dolphins, was stopping the run. They surrendered a staggering 1,004 yards rushing in those 4 games and by way of turnovers won 2 of them. Stopping the run and acquiring players for the 3-4 was the Bills priority in the draft. How good a job Buddy & Co. did won't be clear until they hit the field and start playing. I work with several long-time Jets season ticket holders and I find it interesting that while they are looking forward to the season they do not share the blind optimism about their team that some have expressed here. Perhaps through experience, they are cautious about expections similar to what most Bills fans have become. That all said, the Jets roster still looks superior to the Bills at this point in the offseason and a split looks good right now.

Maybin's only 22, the same age as most of this year's rookie class. He's got some growing up to do physically, emotionally, and intellectually if he's going to succeed. Will he do it? We'll get a pretty good idea this year. Did he make any impact last year? No, we can all agree on that. In the meantime, I'm willing to cut the guy some slack. Him becoming an impact player on defense will help this team and in the end we'd all would like to see that happen. The 3-4 can create a lot of uncertainty and confusion for the offensive blocking schemes if employed correctly. That might play to his strengths and minimize his weaknesses (being engulfed by larger OT) displayed when coming off the line from the DE position. IMO, labeliing him a bust is premature because he didn't play enough nor was he utilized very well last season by the previous coaching staff.

Got to disagree about Campbell. He is not ready to start at LT in the NFL. His 'measurables' at the combine were exceptional but his blocking skills are marginal and his techincal is bad. Someday he might be a good NFL tackle but at the moment he is a project pick. On the NFL network this morning, Lombardi and Casserly were discussing which of the 4 top QB's would see action this season. Their opinion was only Bradford was prepared to assume the starting QB position. That all said I would have prefered the Bills selected Charles Brown in the 2nd to address the OT situation. He went to the Saints with their pick late in round 2.

Few quarterbacks that are #1 overall draft choices win Superbowls with the team that draft them. In recent history you've got Aikman in '93, '94, '96, and and Manning in '07. Elway was drafted by Baltimore, Eli Manning by San Diego. Warner was a free agent, Montana a 3rd round choice, Steve Young was drafted by Tampa, Farve a 2nd round choice by Atlanta, Brady, we know the story there. The lesson is there's no tried and true scientific method to find a franchise quarterback. Its a lot of work and more times than not a lot of luck too and taking one early in the 1st round in no sure thing.

The defense couldn't get off the field on 3rd down but some of the fault was the result of offensive ineptitude. Last year's defense was 24th in third down conversions, 40.4%. And tied with SF for most 3rd down attempts allowed, 240. The defense was 32nd in rushing 1st downs surrendered, 134. This validates the focus on addressing upgrades to the front 7 on D.

That's exactly it. The draft experts don't get graded, second guessed, or fired. Because their picks never have to be proven out on the field on Sunday's. Only the 32 teams making the actual picks are subject to criticism and have to back up their work with results.

Perhaps some 2-back sets with Jackson and Spiller? Break huddle 2nd and 6, and Spiller motions off as the slot receiver. Defense in basic 3-4-4 or 4-3-4. Who's gonna cover him? LB, haha, safety, good luck. Runs 7 yard crossing pattern, catches ball, off to the house!! Still let's get some line help 2nd, 3rd rounds.....

Washington, with Shanahan and Snyder, have a win now approach. Still what does it say when you trade a vet QB to one of your division rivals? IMO, it means we're not scared of you beating us twice a year. The Bills have needs at other postions which I prefer they address in round 1 (e.g. OT), but I've got no gripe if they take Clausen at #9. As for being a prick I think there's a fine line between that and having confidence and projecting that confidence in your actions and words. As he matures I suspect he'll adapt and refine his demeanor. All I know about the guy is what I've seen on Saturday afternoon's and from those performances he merits a good look. Personal behavior aside, the only question that I care about is can the Bills win with this guy as the QB?

Right. You can't make progress selling at the bottom. I'd like to see what the new staff can do with the offense, and Lynch, before making a move to trade a player that has been productive, last year being the exception. Good teams don't move players unless they've already got a replacement groomed and on the roster. Moving a player and creating a new 'need' is just running in place. If somebody makes an offer you can't refuse then that bears consideration. But a possible 4th rounder? Pass...

Agree. Unless you've got a replacement on the roster it makes no sense to trade Lynch for a draft choice to be used for another RB. If that approach would produce a viable replacement your trading partner should just keep their pick and choose the same guy minus the bagage. They need to stop degrading the roster and add talent, drop the like-for-like trade and draft mentality, stop the running in place approach to building the roster.

Here in central New Jersey we've gotten about 6" so far with up to another 12" expected. They do a decent job of snow removal in my town and the surrounding areas. If you know what you're doing you can get around okay. The local drivers on the road are another story. They seem incapable of adapting their driving style to the conditions. Ice and snow are slippery? Wow. You mean I can't go 75 mph? The inevitable crashes and traffic tie-ups occur. Anyway, that aside, the most amazing aspect of each storm is the survivalist rush to the supermarket to stock up on supplies of bread, eggs, and milk. Its quite comical. And its just a one day event in most cases. If you didn't know about the snow storm you'd think the world was coming to an end.

The game was competitive and pretty well played but not having any rooting interest, except for a couple boxes in the office pool, I wasn't really into the game. As somebody posted earlier too many commercial breaks. IMO, most of the commericals were relatively infantile and stupid rather than funny. Whether that's an indictment of my sense of humor or society at-large is open to debate. The game itself has become less of a sporting event and more of a Hollywood spectacle attended by celebrities who can afford the top-dollar ticket prices and have connections, rather than true football fans. Its the chic place to be. I enjoyed the games on conference championship weekend a lot more because it was just football.

The truth is there are several ways to find a franchise QB, trade, free agency, draft. None are 100% foolproof. The Bills have gotten QB's via all 3 methods over the past decade and have had little success. Ultimately, it boils down to your ability to identify the right guy, at the right time, in the right situation, and luck. The Bills have had none of those go their way. Is the front office with the new GM and assistant GM in a better position to judge talent than the past crew? I think so but only time will tell. IMO, #1 and #2 is protect the QB and stop the run. The Bills as built don't do either well. Until those problems are solved I don't see how any franchise QB, no matter how talented, can thrive. He won't have the ball, or the lead, and will be under constant pressure. Those circumstances have already ruined a couple prospective QB's, Losman and Edwards. Although I'd like to see Claussen or Bradford in a Bills uniform in 2010 I'm inclined to side with the idea that spending high picks on building the O-line, and 'D', is the best way to go, given the state of the team now.

1) Charter a bank 2) Make bad loans 3) Declare bankruptcy 4) Get government assistance 5) Pay yourself a $1 billion bonus

No question profit and loss are major drivers behind business decisions. No profit = no business, so its essential for a business to be profitable to expand and grow, continue to employ people, and service their customers. But NFL football is more than an entertainment business. There's another aspect to this beyond the dollars and cents analysis. There is also an emotional component at play. Ego. To someone with a large ego, a high net worth, and a high opinion of themselves, running with the big dogs so to speak, winning in the NFL tranlates to boosting their personal success above that of their multi-millionaire and billionaire friends and associates. Do we actually believe Snyder bought the Redskins to make money or to acquire a rich man's 'toy'? I'm guessing a guy like Snyder given the choice of making a $100 million next season or losing $20 million but winning the Super Bowl will choose the later. I heard rumor that a member of Jim Kelly's investor group was Donald Trump. Personally, I think Trump is a shameless self-promotor. On the other hand, as a Bill's fan I'd welcome a guy like that at the top. Somebody who would make winning the highest priority.

To me, Nix is the GM version of HQ Rex Ryan. His abrasive attitude set the tone this season by turning the hapless team culture of the Jets around. Whether its something lasting time will tell. If and how Nix translates this street figher attitude to acquiring the necessary talent to produce wins on the field is something we'll all be watching. Winning is going to be the only measure of success that counts.

They should trade down in the 1st round and acquire a few extra picks. This team has too many major holes for one top pick to make any significant difference. Trade down into the middle of the 1st and an OT like Bulaga would likely still be on the board and depending on the terms of a draft choice swap, maybe with an additional 2nd rounder they can look at LB and DT. Obviously, to pull off any trade you've got to find a partner. While I like the idea of getting a franchise QB and solving that problem after what seems like forever, going into 2010 I can't see many scenarios where that is going to tranlate into any real improvement without first upgrading the lines on both sides of the ball. Put a rookie QB behind this O-line without any upgrades at tackle and he's on IR before week 6.....

Your point on meddling is valid. Look at two of the better known meddlers. Snyder and Jones. They may be meddlers and you can question their results, but you can't question their passion and commitment to doing what it takes to build a winning team. This is what Bills ownership lacks, commitment. The team talked a good game about evaluating the organization and making changes but in the end came up small.

Your post is excellent and drills down the issue of 'market size' to the detailed level needed to understand what kind of interest a transplanted team would garner. Measured purely by individuals interested in a local pro football team, I'd wager the Buffalo market would fare pretty well in terms of 'relative' market size (football fans divided by total population).

Are you saying we might have a coach that evaluates the strengths and weaknesses of his players then develops a scheme/gameplan that emphasizes the strengths and avoids the weaknesses? Wow. Maybe there is hope?

Sounds like you're describing the script of Major League. A story about a baseball teams young female owner's attempt to create a team so distasteful to the fans that it would justify moving the team to another city. The team realizing they are a bunch of second rate losers, rally around each other and win the penant. In our case seriously doubt we'll get the happy ending that the movie provided.