HankBulloughMellencamp

As far as them being very different players, I would agree in the sense that McKelvin is at least adequate in coverage and Williams is not. His efforts in the SF game made it necessary for him to make a quick run to Target for more underwear before flying back with the club. #21 is listed as 5'10", 185, and #23 is 6'0", 199 ... so OK, Leodis is a bit more 'wiry', but I am not sure what benefit 'thick' is when it prevents you from being in position. And McKelvin is not quite as physical as Williams, assuming that is what you meant, but he is not deficient in throwing his body around either - see any of his punt return highlights. And I do know that Marvcus played LB for us, and quite well, since he looked like he was chiseled out of granite. But I'll hold on to see if someone else remembers the reference ...

I agree on the importance of 3 dependable CBs ... and I have no issue with the McKelvin re-signing and/or paying him starter money. His punt/kick returning abilities alone make him worth the cash. Not sure why you wonder about Gilmore - he was bound to take a lump or two as an NFL greenhorn guarding the likes of Larry Fitz, but has been a solid CB1 from day one. To me, he looks like he will approach greatness at the position. Leodis is, at worst, an athletic CB2 whose only knocks are poor ball skills and public speaking ability. If Aaron Williams blossoms under Pettine, even better, but at least we don't have to pin our hopes on that and/or draft another CB very high to replace Leodis. Come to think of it, #21 and #23 are quite similar players in terms of size and athletic ability ... although McKelvin is usually in position but out-muscled for the ball, whereas Williams has been badly juked out of position and/or flagged quite regularly. Ron Brooks can hopefully come along nicely and stake a claim to some extended playing time opposite Gilmore or as CB3 as well. A quick shout-out to all Bills 'glory years' veterans who know that Marvcus Patton = CB4 ... (and that his mom also played pro ball). Here's hoping free agency will give us an NFL-caliber MLB and a decent safety to pair with Jairus ... I would be pleased as punch. In other words, no thank you on Sheppard or Searcy as our penciled-in starters heading to camp.

Totally agree. The idea of signing a guy like Elllerbe, who has already demonstrated he can be a 3-down ILB in a Pettine-esque scheme, gives me confidence that we should see better things in the Marrone/Pettine era. Most of my recent posts have been focused on how less-than-marginal I believe Kelvin Sheppard has been, in what few could argue is one of the worst recent stretches of defense we have seen the Bills play. So to hear that we have likely made it a priority to take a FA shot at the heir apparent to Ray Lewis is music to my ears.

Post of the thread. Shep has been given much more than a fair shot to make plays in the middle for the Bills. Quickly, name your favorite three plays he has made as a Bill ... ... ... crickets ... ... AAAAAAANHT time's up. In a season and a half, are there even three key plays he has made? I do realize he was taken out a lot ... as if that's a good thing to have to do with your MLB ... but in the recent past, we have always had a guy who can at least make a play once a game or so. Shane Conlan, Ray Bentley, Carlton Bailey, Sam Cowart, Chris Spielman, Mark Maddox ... heck, even David White made some plays now and again. Of more recent vintage are the ageless London Fletcher (still making instinctive plays for the 'skins) and Poz, who is not held in very high regard here, but who has made far more tackles in the NFL than his detractors would care to acknowledge. And it was apparent pretty early on that each of these guys could at least play a little. Nix, Gailey and company loved Sheppard's Senior Bowl practices. So we pick him, and he has his first NFL camp shortened by the lockout, hurts his hammy, and then even starts a few games late in the year as a rookie. He then gets handed the job over Kirk Morrison and whomever else, and has done essentially nothing all year to convince anyone he can even play. Why does anyone hold out hope for this guy? He catches blocks, slow dances, and rarely if ever sheds to make the play. His tackle totals are an embarrasment from that spot. If he starts next year for Pettine, let alone makes the team, I will be totally flabbergasted.

Totally agree. If they restructure Fitz, I think many sensible Bills fans can surely see the logic in the move. And I interpret it as essentially Marrone's move (by way of Buddy) after reviewing the tape and meeting the guy. I am no apologist for, or advocate of Fitz as a starting NFL QB after last year's performance. But I have long thought of him as the perfect backup QB, a well-respected character guy who will actually help groom the new guy, put more of a Frank Reich-type effort into the role, and be ready if need be. Fitz could definitely help shorten a new QBs learning curve, and based on what we know, we can't possibly count on Thigpen or Jackson to do the same. Even Trentative has a backup job in the league, and he mentioned that he tried to be exactly that for Nick Foles, mostly because he likes NFL game checks, but also because he did not have that type of guy to show him the ropes when he was in Buffalo. Not every backup QB gives a Frank Reich-type effort in making the guy in front of him successful. Remember Flutie/Johnson? It's also, I think, part of why Sexy Rexy and the Jets went with McElroy last year in lieu of Tebow (who looked like he barely payed attention to the offense during games). Who knows, with Fitz's brainpower and a younger, stronger arm, it could be the recipe for Nathaniel Hackett to develop, in a Dr. Frankenstein sort of way, a QB prototype/wunderkind to finally replace #12 for us!!!

Other than the pic of Ted, this thread is a complete waste of cyberspace. I would assume you all were on board with the firing of Chan ... and with a new coach comes new assistants ... retaining previous coaches is a rarity. Only Jerry Jones meddles with the assistant coach selection process, and Wade (our best coach since Marv) fell on the sword in the name of it. DeHaven was avg at best, and #21 made him look good. Crossman will do fine here, I say out with the old guard, and let's get after it with Marrone. If Parcells, Peyton and Polian vouch for the guy, I am willing to give him some rope and see what he can do. Besides, we have inventory to move in the GTA! (Ok kidding on the last part)

All I meant is that QBs tend to go well before most draftniks have them slotted. If you like a guy, get him. Ponder went way earlier than speculated. His ability versus that of Fitz is a moot point. And I think we are all done with the idea of Fitz as our guy. I would venture that the Bills were poised to take Cousins last year, but the 'skins doubled up on rookie QBs ... point being, even if they liked him, someone else got him because they waited too long.

Nice post, I concur with much of your analysis. I hate to spout blasphemy on here, but when I see Nassib step into a throw on film, it reminds me of a younger Jimbo. Maybe the #12 has undue influence on what my subconscious mind is processing, but I can't be the only one who thought this! I love the idea that our staff has more knowledge of this guy than any other team will have. But then again, the film tells any trained eye that this kid has loads of talent. He owns most Syracuse passing records, and they have had some decent guys under center over the years. He played against Geno Smith and Matt Barkley, and looked every bit as capable. He may need to develop his touch, but his arm strength is undeniable and, I think, important for playing in the Ralph. If the Bills really like him, I want them to take him at the 8-spot ... armchair GMs and critics be damned. We have waited long enough to address this position. There will be thousands of casual fans who will cry foul (along with Jerry Sullivan, undoubtedly) and argue that they could have waited for him in the second round. Remember how much the Bills liked supposed second-tier Christian Ponder a few years ago? He went in the top ten. If Nassib can be your future franchise QB, you'd better be sure you get him. I encourage Bills fans to open a youtube window and watch this guy - he can play in the NFL - sooner rather than later. Enough hedging bets, let's go "all in" and get somewhere.

I am posting this as a realist more so than a Buddy Nix apologist. I want to add some perspective to his work as the Bills GM - flame away as you feel necessary. The Bills simply MUST rid themselves of Chan's demonstrated ineptitude, but not necesarrily Buddy because he has done a lot of things that make sense to me football-wise. If the Bills totally clean house and promote Whaley, I couldn't argue too much, because I have no baby three years into this regime. But I need to see Chan ushered out long before I demand Buddy's head. Poorly prepared game plans, lackluster effort, and weak in-game decisions are the work of Chan, not Buddy. Poor defensive coordinators are Chan's call, not Buddy's. And how do we really know if this Whaley fella is anywhere near worthy of a GM gig, or is he just riding Pittsburgh's reputation like Tom Donahoe as many have suggested? Realistically, I also think Ralph will ultimately want to stick with Buddy and not blow it all up/admit to failure to that degree. And let's be honest, what Indy is doing with a whole new regime is about as rare as Andrew Luck himself. I see lots of posts attacking Buddy's drafts, so let it be said that hindsight is always 20/20, and you can pick apart the drafts of nearly every NFL team. Jerry Sullivan so often reminds us of this in his customary "told-you-so" columns that conveniently benefit from hindsight (if not capitalize on it) ... the latest example being the "Nix could have had Russell Wilson, but instead traded up for T.J. Graham, who dropped 3 balls yesterday" angle. No one knows if Jerry even has a neck, because he surely has never stuck it out there. Sullivan and others drilled Nix for two years about the "luxury" of the Spiller pick, but you don't hear that complaint today. Presumably the same people whined about how we traded Lynch away, but we all know that thug wanted out of Buffalo. Freddie has proved to be a more than capable replacement. Nix also kept Stevie around when some were convinced he wouldn't, and I'd bet dollars to Paula's Donuts he keeps Byrd and Levitre in the fold if he survives. Nix deserves credit for developing a very good offensive line group on the cheap that is among the better units in the league. Cordy Glenn is a solid rookie LT, and will maul people for years ... lots of teams picked tackles but passed on him. Not sure how much weight Buddy carried in the decisions to select Wood and Levitre, but he sure pounced on Urbik, Rhinehardt, and Pears when other teams cut them - again, at bargain basement prices. Same goes for the TE position, with Chandler and L. Smith plucked from the scrap heap. Chandler is currently the most productive TE in Bills history at the moment ... who can remember what a barren wasteland the TE position was before his ascent? (Dave Moore, Robert Royal, Mark Campbell, Derek Fine, Derek Schouman, Ryan Neufeld, Jonathan Stupar, etc). My point is, it can be fixed quickly with the right head coach (P. Fewell? M. Zimmer?) and a few solid moves this offseason. Who knows, Fitz might very well restructure and become the perfect veteran tutor to a young QB.

Agreed. Not that I am a defender of and/or believer in #14 for 2013 beyond just being a mentor for and eventual solid backup to whomever we can get ... but he certainly was not the reason for the loss. He got hit on the last pick, so that sh*t happens to QBs at any time. The bottom line is that we dominated most of the game and should not have needed to come from behind in the last minute. After suffering through pussies like RoJo, JP, and Trentative, you have to at least admire his toughness at that position. Funny how Mike Martz was extra effusive with his praise for Fitz at the controls, you could even say ... Fitz played his best for heem Pa-RUM-Pum-Pum-Pum My only point is, Chan is far more inept as an NFL HC than Fitz is as an NFL starting QB. Calling a timeout to punt from the other team's 34 yard line?!? This game was our Tennessee debacle all over again. I hope Chan lays a few more strategic eggs down the stretch to clinch the notion that keeping him around would equal a severe season-ticket sales slump.

I do acknowledge the very real possibility that Chan returns. But I also think that we are about to see, as Bruce Smith might say, some "bad, bad things" down the stretch here ... things that might make Russ's job of selling seats for 2013 very difficult. Slightly off-topic, but I have remarkably parallel feelings about the HC's in Buffalo at the moment ... Bringing Chan back in 2013 is akin to extending Jeff Quinn for more years at the end of a 3-game winning streak, the only of its kind in three years. And I say that as a UB alum and former Bull who hopes I am wrong.

To be fair, as I recall, he had zero HC experience before getting the interim moniker, and that really pissed Bobby April off or whatever. But it's hard for me to believe that if an NFL team offers you the chance to become the head guy, you turn it down because they didn't originally hire you as a greenhorn. Would a writer turn down a gig at Sports Illustrated because they didn't hire said writer right out of college? The issue will more likely be that other teams want to talk to him as well, so in that sense we may end up finishing third fiddle.

An open letter to Buddy/Russ/whoever the hell is truly running this sh*tshow: On behalf of WNY mental health professionals and Bills fans everywhere, please dispose of Chan as expeditiously as possible. It's OK, you can wait until after the holidays, with the hopes that this season will truly fizzle out and secure us a better drafting situation for April 2013, whereby you will surely address the QB situation as promised. But all I really want for Christmas is for you to do the right thing and hire a legitimate, non-retread head coach that can make the current Bills competitive week-in and week-out. You can make an exception to this 'non-retread' caveat if, and only if, you can bring in Marty Schottenheimer, but he'd probably cost you some significant coinage that you have already demonstrated you will not part with to fill the position. Our Bills need a head coach who can get the most out of the talent we have, and low and behold, our cupboard is not exactly bare. We have a potential NFL rushing champion plus a savvy veteran change-of-pace team captain at RB, quite a nice group developing on our OL, enough talent at WR & TE, depth if nothing else on the D-line, and All-Pro talents at FS and CB1. Beyond uniform #'s 50 & 53, our LBs are scrap-heap at best > if left at the curb, no one would even take them away. And 55 is the worst MLB to start for the Bills in a long while, possibly ever. The big name head coaches will cost big money and may not even want the job under Ralph C., so spare us the psychological damage that we Buffalonians would surely inflict upon ourselves. I have the guy we need in mind, and the best part is, you guys in the front office already know him quite well .... and I don't think he would blow up your budget either. This man is fiery, passionate, and has honed his demonstrated leadership skills under a Hall of Fame coach for the past three seasons; he even has a Super Bowl ring to show for his efforts. He also did a fine job as your interim "anti-Jauron" head coach back in the fall of 2009, infusing the lifeless 'T.O.' Bills with some competitiveness after Dick was sent thataway. Buddy, we know you could not have kept Perry Fewell on board from his interim tag and truly established yourself as a legit NFL GM and/or kept any season ticketholders interested at the time, but things have not gone as you had planned. And no, you Chan't bring your guy back after three seasons of worse-than-Dick results and no baby - this is, after all, a production business. It's unlikely that he'd Heisman stiff-arm our advances, but with the way the NY Giants defense looked against the Pack last night, I suggest you secure some reservations at Tempo for New Years Day or so, and make your best Mario Williams-style pitch - by that I mean you'd better bid high for him. I do believe Mr. Fewell would jump at the chance to take command of this Bills team, and he would make it more competitive from Day One. He could potentially have a Mike Tomlin/Jim Harbaugh-esque effect on the current roster and franchise. And Bills fans would probably buy-in by training camp, since Perry has already done what we need him to do right here in Buffalo (with far less talent on hand).

Then we agree to disagree on a few things ... on CJ's long one my point is simply that with half an ounce of MLB instinct, he could have at least slowed up CJ. To say "he got blocked" and blame it on Barnett is ridiculous. Barnett took on the lead blocker, and for him to make that tackle would have been stellar. Sheppard could/should have at least shown up at the point of attack - is that too much to ask of a MLB on essentially a cut that went off-tackle? I thought Kelsay did his DE job rather well by turning CJ into the "help" and not letting him get to the corner. first, why people feel inclined to come to the defense of Sheppard, who barely shows up on the stat sheet, is beyond me.

On the long run, you must be talking about the lead block on Barnett, and it was a good one by the FB. But upon further review, one can clearly see Sheppard at least a yard deeper than the other LBs. At the snap, he shuffles forward and eventually willfully engages with the OL, whom in my opinion he could have easily avoided contact with by sidestepping as CJ breaks to his right). But he gets caught up in the muck for no reason. A decent MLB would have scraped over and plugged that play up just as CJ passed Barnett. Or at least got a piece of him. I implore you to review the play again. http://www.nfl.com/news/story/0ap1000000083671/article/chris-johnson-adrian-peterson-pump-out-key-runs

The failures of the Bills D fall squarely at the feet of Wannstache since he is the coordinator. And especially since apparently Chan has indicated that the two of them have not meet to discuss Bills defensive performances "at length" out of respect for him or whatever. Which is completely ridiculous, but I digress. The highly-talented (and highly-priced) D-linemen are not without fault for all the yardage the Bills have given up, as well as the lack of pressure(s) they have been able to consistently generate. And Aaron Williams is constantly exposed as a coverage liability, and Gilmore is green so he will sometimes get exposed, etc etc. (although I think #27 is a very good NFL corner already). But what I can not understand for the life of me is ... how in the world has Kelvin Sheppard, to this point, kept his job with such poor (and lack of) performance from the MLB spot?!? And why has Kirk Morrison, who has performed that exact job adequately if not admirably in the NFL for 5+ years as a starter, not yet been activated? To be fair, Wannstache often takes Sheppard off the field in favor of Coy Wire ... I mean Brian Scott, in passing situations. But please review the DVR if you have not hit 'delete' yet ... on each of the two TDs scored by "CJ.2KvsBUF," Sheppard got engaged to an O-lineman and just stuck to him. No ability to keep the blocker off him, no ability to disengage, nothing. It almost looks like he wants to lock horns with would-be blockers, and then he stays there dancing with them like a magnetized 'vibrating-football-game' figure. This is Linebacking 101 type **** we are talking about. Many blamed Barnett for missing the play on the long one, but playside LBs are usually accounted for, and often get an extra FB in their face if they happen to beat a guy. Your middle linebacker MUST scrape over and help make the stop if/when the RB comes through or it's usually 'Goodbye Charlie' unless the safety can come up and make a great tackle. And Sheppard is never anywhere to be found. Quick, name two nice plays Sheppard has made this year. Didn't think you could. He is not ever even in the screen on CJ.8K's long TD. Jairus Byrd has had to make WAY too many solo tackles where he bears the brunt of a breakaway RB. That is a lot to ask of any safety. So exactly what does the Bills coaching staff "like" about Sheppard?!? He is awful at best when the real bullets are flying. I am fairly certain Kirk Morrison will be activated and playing more from here on ... at least I hope so. But why hasn't that happened already? WTF is going on, Wannstache? In limited duty, your boy from Pitt, Scott McKillop, looked like his instincts were at least twice as good as Sheppard's. I'd damn sure rather have him, Kirk, Poz or the ageless wonder London Fletcher as our MLB at this very moment. Quite possibly even Ray Bentley.

*blush* regarding any TBD post of the year talk ... that's like an Oscar nomination

Almost a year ago, I went to see Big Sugar at the Rapids Theatre in NF (fantastic show, by the way). During the opening band, Widemouth Mason (with Gordie J. on bass), I noticed this dude who had an awfully familiar looking face hanging out near my crew. Finally I placed the name with the face ... it was undoubtedly none other than John Wayne Bobbit. He was in a black leather jacket, trying to fire up some conversation with some very high-quality "free agents," to no avail. He was eventually noticeably stumbling a bit, and as Jimbo himself might put it, rocking the boat. So much so that his crew did the right thing and escorted him out of the venue at intermission/before Big Sugar even took the stage. I remember thinking to myself "Wow, that poor dude had his schwantz lopped off, surgically reattached, subsequent 15 mins of fame, and was even a featured guest on the Howard Stern New Years PPV special. Yet here he is, a bumbling mess." So, very analogous to the state of the Bills organization of the last dozen years. The question of the day is ... does Chan make it past the bye week/intermission?

The disdain for Fitz and his shortcomings and/or "low ceiling" among roughly half of Bills fans pretty much matches the current feelings of half of Cowboys fans towards Romo, half of Philly fans towards Vick, and half of Jets fans toward Sanchez. OK maybe 75% of Jets fans since everyone loves Tebow before he actually takes snaps and shows his limitations and slingshot release. Additionally, I will say that probably half of Ravens fans whined about Flacco up until this year, and half of Falcons fans thought Ryan would never get it done until now. They have now been as quiet as those "Eli is no Peyton" crowd as of lately. Good, consistent NFL QBs are so very damn hard to find. Flutie aside, I still favor Fitzy over all the bums and wusses we have anointed since Jimbo because he is a tougher, better leader than we have had. Deflects any credit and takes all of the blame, just like Jimbo or any respected veteran QB does. Plus who remembers the nasty shot he took from James Harrison shortly before launching the would-be game winning TD versus Pittsburgh that Stevie dropped? I am not happy with his production since the contract, but he is not paid exhorbitantly as a starting NFL QB goes. I do hope they draft a guy fairly early next spring to groom under him, but I fully support Fitz in 2012. Do you really want to see Thigpen or T. Jackson? C'mon man.

Maybe he demanded that a photo of him was taken so he could now be included in the "5-man wolfpack" tees ... seriously, I hope the guy is OK

It's only a matter of time before they give Sal more air time ... he is quite a refreshing change, and I would love to see him give us all a break from Schopp's pompous afternoon act.

Gruden's QB Camp is must-see draft prep ... (random thoughts on each guy, for what it's worth) Ryan Mallett has taken a lot of abuse, but has the best physical tools to potentially one day be in the Manning/Bledsoe/Rivers mold. His arm is unsurpassed, and 6'7" is a huge advantage to QB decision-making in the NFL. Mallett has thrived in a pro offense, and its hard to argue that he did not handle that level of responsibility quite well. Wonderlic score aside, Mallett was chomping at the bit at the whiteboard, ready to dissect whatever the defense shows. He has a competitive fire, and really seems motivated to silence his critics. Andy Dalton was also very impressive, and I bet there are ~30 teams who wouldn't mind adding him to their QB corps if possible. He certainly appears as the most NFL-ready guy to play from day one. At the whiteboard, Dalton was comfortable and confident - even telling Gruden he would have whatever blitz he threw at him picked up. He seems to have solid leadership ability, and its hard to argue with what he did in his 4 years to get TCU back on the map with a big Rose Bowl win against Wisconsin. Cam Newton has loads of charisma and all the physical things you just can not coach, but I am not convinced he can come in and command an NFL offense of veterans anytime soon. When put on the spot, he could not even come up with a college play call ... it seemed like he just knew the plays at Auburn by the numbers called in from the sideline. Not impressed, I really needed to see much more for a potentially #1 overall, $30+ million investment. His mechanics are not bad, but I still question how well he has had to read things beyond choice #1. In a nutshell, I say he's Vince Newton. Jake Locker was quite interesting physically, although I think early NFL success will require a good landing spot. He's got some Fitzpatrick in him. He showed a lot of toughness, but we all know you can't wear down an NFL defense with your running ability for very long. Mike Vick has even evolved. RoJo and Trent had good scrambling ability that was a weapon early on, but both were reduced to scaredy-cats after taking a few too many licks. That being the case, he's a gamer, but I am not sold on his overall accuracy. Wouldn't kick and scream if he were our second rounder, but he won't last that long. Blaine Gabbert is an enigma to me ... great physical tools, but what did he really do @ Missouri that was so special? Beat Illinois and Kansas? He was the most laid-back guy, and did not show a ton of that 'leadership' type of personality needed to be able to lead grown NFL men right away ... you could say RoJo was also sorta like that, and it was actually part of his un-doing by the time it was all said and done. I only wish Gruden invited Christian Ponder on the show as well. I really think the Bills secretly love Ponder, and will try to grab him and groom him under Fitzy if they can. They took him for a nice test-ride at the Senior Bowl, and reports are that he has always carried himself like a pro. I favor a late first or 2nd round guy to develop versus investing our #3 overall - we need a Von Miller or Marcell Dareus (or even Peterson if he is that good) and can NOT afford a premium whiff like Mike Williams or Maybin.

I agree that in his current situation, Bulldog has become a bit stale and perhaps a bit too much of a lapdog for Schopp's pompous thoughts. But I will chalk it up to Bulldog being a team player, being a professional, and doing what he is being directed to do. Like you and I, he surely has bills to pay and a keen interest in keeping his job. Unlike Schopp, I really think he enjoys his job for the most part. If I hear Bulldog on alone, I can stay with the broadcast far longer than when they are together (or worse yet, Schopp is ranting solo). Does anyone know if their "vacation time" is mostly legit, or does WGR squeeze costs and lay them off here and there?

Interesting to hear about his whereabouts, but I was just kidding about bringing Maniscalco back. He was/is my definition of unlistenable.

Politics not withstanding, glad to see the focus of this thread shift back to the Buffalo sports talk aspect. In my view, Riter and WECK scored a major coup in getting Nick Mendola to shift away from WGR. I doubt very much that Riter would want to lure Schopp away, but I could envision the Bulldog jumping ship if the details could be worked out. You can almost hear his disdain for Schopp on the air, and his true talents are essentially being smothered. If WGR loses others, I am convinced that their plan would be to bring back Mike Maniscalco or promote some other greenhorn to introduce replayed segments of the Howard Simon show all afternoon. As if once isn't enough. Riter's manifesto (linked at the top) is well worth a listen; it has a Tebow/Ron Livingston-in-Office-Space kind of feel to it that I really enjoyed. I wish Brad and WECK the best, and hope to see an improved local sports radio landscape if from nothing more than some good old-fashioned competition.