bills_believer

I am surprised a little, but I think they can pick up players of the same quality as the ones they let go at those two positions. Defensive backs are a deep area on this team. Some of those cut offensive lineman are going to be on the practice squad. I wonder if they might be able to deal one of those defensive backs.

I agree that 8 wins is a reasonable projection. I think Gailey will make a huge difference as coach and especially for the offense. I think there will be a night and day difference for Edwards and the other players on the offense. The defense concerns me some. A rookie Defensive Coordinator and the front seven making a transition to a 3-4. I don't think anyone can really predict how well the individual players will transition. Hopefully they have spent enough draft choices on the defense and signed enough free agents that they will find the people they need to fill the spots needed for a successful transition to the 3-4

Great Blue North is having a fan mock draft. You can vote for only one team and only one time. The top three OT's were gone (Russell Okung, Trent Williams and Brian Bulaga). 161 fans voted. Clausen edged out Dan Williams by one percentage point. http://www.gbnreport.com/fanmockdraftstats.html

There are some things that should be kept in perspective. First the Bills had two vacancies: GM and Head Coach. I think they did the right thing in hiring a GM. Buddy Nix has quite a bit of experience in working for successful GM's, so I am satisfied with that choice. Washington or Seattle have not made very good choices. Both Shanahan and Carroll are getting GM responsiblities (or the final say over the GM) and there are only a few guys who have done that well. Carroll was not that successful the first go around coaching in the NFL, so you're going to add GM responsibilities too and he'll do better? I am not buying that. Shanahan did not make good personnel decisions in Denver. The other thing is there is no or little competition for head coaches. The Bills can wait until the playoffs are over. Sure I'd like to hear that they have a top notch guy now, but it really doesn't matter as long as it gets done in the next month.

There was a story about an incident Cam had with the Dolphins that was used to illustrate that he didn't have control of the team. It seems like a vetran player was involved and it was on a team plane or bus. I can't remember the details. I think he is a great coordinator and I would be glad to see him in that capacity with the Bills, but not as head coach. I did not like the idea of Shanahan coming because while he is a good coach I think he is lousy as a GM and I think he expects to be GM/Head Coach. I doubt that things will turn out well for him in Washington. Cowher turned down other teams before. He had a chance to go to the Jets last year. I don't think Bills fans should take that one personally. It seems like only Carolina would be a slam dunk for him. I still would like to see Marty come here. I think he has the best track record of anyone available (including Shanahan and Cowher). Marty has proven he can turn teams around in several different cities. Cowher and Shanahan were only in one city and it is possible that some of their success was due to the system they were in (Pittsburg) or players they had (Elway). I would still be glad to see Cowher come, but I think Marty is more of a proven commodity.

I really think we need to be careful about wanting to run Guy and Modrak out of town. Maybe they have done a bad job, but it is really hard to tell. Modrak has had success in other places and I tend to think he is a good man. As for Guy, I don't think it is really clear cut that he has done a bad job. When Donahoe was here, they brought in some good free agents. London Fletcher, Takeo Spikes, and Larry Centers all had their moments. I suspect that Levy and Jauron had more to do with the failure of recent free agents than did Guy. Nix should know the inside scoop on Guy and Modrak and whether or not they should be kept.

I'm not sure Modrak has done such a bad job. One huge problem with this organization is that you don't know who has been calling the shots on draft day. Besides every team misses on some draft choices. Byrd, Levitre and Wood seem like good picks at this point. Even if Maybin is a bust, if those three become stars or even solid performers, it would be considered a good draft. Also Nelson and Lankster have potential. If they hire a GM, Modrak still might lose his job, but I am not anxious to run him out of town, at least not as long as I don't know who has been making these decisions.

Amen.

Bruce Allen was not the GM when Dungy was there. Bruce Allen came to Tampa a year or two after Jon Gruden started coaching there. Allen's record doesn't look good to me. The candidates for GM are just not that compelling or well known, but that is the direction the Bills should go. Jeff Ireland from the Dolphins seems like the best choice to me.

The only way Maybin was going to get playing time was if Schobel did not come back from his injury or if they moved him to linebacker. He is too light to be a left defensive end. In that sense he was a bad pick. An offensive tackle or a linebacker would have been someone who could have immediately had an impact because the Bills had bigger holes in those spots.

I hope Losman gets a job and has a good career. In Buffalo there was constant turnover of Offensive coordinators and poor coaching overall. The Bills quarterbacks have regressed under poor coaching and behind bad offensive lines.

I don't want Shanahan in a combo position of GM/Head Coach. I wonder if he would be a little like Donahoe in coming here with a chip on his shoulder, feeling as if he was unjustly fired and trying to prove how smart he is. For players it sometimes works having a chip on their shoulder, but for your head coach or GM I think it works against them if they are trying to prove they are smarter than the rest of the world. What I have heard is that Shanahan wants to install the 3-4. I have nothing against the 3-4, but the Bills personnel is designed for the 4-3 now, and it seems like there are quite a few teams seeking players who fit the 3-4. The Bills would be better off sticking to a 4-3 I agree that the Bills need to get a GM first. Seems to me that Casserly has a kind of mixed record. I would prefer Floyd Reese to Casserly. Jeff Ireland from the Dolphins would sound good with the idea that he would have learned from Parcells, who I think you have to consider one of the best. I disagree with the idea that Head coach is less important because of the coordinators. The head coach you get is going to determine how good of coordinator you can get. The head coach needs a top notch expeirienced coordinator in the field opposite of his specialty. Jauron needed a top notch offensive coordinator and if he had sought one perhaps it would have kept him from his disastrous offensive decisions and perhaps even helped him with game management. The pay scale you pay your head coach will determine what you pay your coordinators. Your head coach needs to be confident and shrewd enough to choose a top notch offensive coordinator. It seems to me that you should be able to get a good coordinator because the head coaches that get fired were oftentimes a good coordinator. (Greg Williams and Mike Mullarkey are good coordinators and have been good additions to the orgaizations that picked them up). You just need to offer the money and have the head coach that a good coordinator respects enough to work for.

The first priority is to get a good GM. Shanahan scares me because of his personnel decisions. One more name I would throw in there is Mike Sherman. He has a long term contract with Texas A & M, but if he could get out of it he would be an interesting choice. Marc Trestman intrigues me because of his success in Canada. It sounds like Marty, Cowher and Holmgren are not interested. The best years the Bills had were when they had a top notch GM.

It is easy to be attracted to some coaches that have had a winning record and I'd really like to see Marty Schottenheimer come to Buffalo, but I agree that you need a GM. I am not sure that Shanahan without a GM is a good thing. At this point I think the Bills need a good GM who will be committed to bringing in a quality coach and Ralph needs to be ready to shell out top dollar to get both of them.

I think Marty is the best available coach. He has won and had playoff teams in three different cities. The only knock I can see on Marty is that his playoff record is not good, but it has been so long since the Bills have even sniffed the playoffs, I would take just getting into the playoffs for awhile. I'd love to see him come to Buffalo.

Even if the Bills had to eat some of his salary, they should try to get rid of him. The Bills season is over. The potential for TO to explode is there and he has no future in Buffalo. Let Steve Johnson get some playing time.

Great Blue North says that there are lot more draft choices unsigned than are normal. They speculate that the prospect of labor troubles is the problem.

I'd have to say (1) Trent Edwards - I think Trent will be a good quarterback if he can stay healthy. (2) Aaron Schobel - I don't think you can expect much out of a rookie defensive lineman, so that means Schobel needs to return to form if the Bills are going to get a pass rush this year.

Interesting topic, but I feel it isn't even close. Donahoe was a lot worse. Levy made modest improvements to start righting the ship. Donahoe/Williams dismantled a playoff caliber defense. I remember one of the players questioning why they were changing from a 3-4 defense which was highly ranked to another defense scheme. Williams response that the Titans had the best defense with his scheme (but they had invested a lot of high draft choices in making that defense). Arrogance just seemed to be the thing that characterized the TD era. It seemed like he was trying to prove that he was smarter than everyone else. He had some good drafts, and FA acquistions, but at some key points like the Mike Williams draft he really bombed I think you have to give Levy an imcomplete. I also think Jauron might still turn out OK. It also seems like they are willing to correct their mistakes and learn from them. Like after pursuing smallish DT's, they realize they need a big guy like Stroud and going out and get him.

What is it with cornerbacks? I guess this means they are going to let Terrence McGee walk next year. There were some good players that would have fit a need.

Every year I get my hopes up for a good draft, but I pretty much forget about last year's draft and who might still emerge from it. Yet I think other than the first two picks from this year, the later picks from last year's draft are more likely to have an impact than later picks this year. So I am going to put on my rose colored glasses to take another look at last year's draft class and who I think might get significant playing time for Bills in 2009: Leodis McKelvin - Of course, we all expect it. I sort of doubt that he will be a major upgrade from last year though (not a slight to Leodis, I just liked Jabari). Derek Fine - Unless the Bills draft a TE in the first round or sign a major free agent, you have to figure that Derek is going to compete for the starting job and I think he wins it with the advantage he has of being a second year player. I think there is a reasonable chance he will be a good, solid player. Demetrius Bell - The opening is there at left guard for someone to step in and become a starter. Last year I think the book on him at draft time was that he was athletic, but needed work. Kyle Williams statement would seem to indicate there is some potential. Reggie Corner - He should compete with Youboty and Florence for time as a nickel or dime back. Steve Johnson - I think one of the mistakes that was made last year was that when Josh Reed went down, James Hardy, was put in. Hardy just wasn't ready. I think Steve Johnson was more NFL ready. Maybe Hardy someday becomes the better player, but I figure Johnson is their fourth best receiver and if there is an injury to Reed, Evans or Owens, he should get the playing time and will do well. Chris Ellis - Defensive lineman don't do particularly well in their first year. It is way too early to give up on Chris Ellis. He might surprise some people. If the Bills don't draft a defensive end in the first two rounds, he will have a chance.

A first and a third for Peters isn't bad, but I have to believe that it would be a big step back. The Bills signing T.O. for a one year deal indicates they think they are not that far away at least from the playoffs. (Actually I tend to agree). An ineperienced LT or even Walker is a huge step back. For the risk/reward I think Peter getting a huge deal hopefully is probably no worse than giving a young draft choice big money. The team's left tackle is perhaps the second most important position on the offense. The Bills need to get serious about winning. Maybe Peters will be getting paid too much, but free agents aren't flocking to Buffalo and they need to keep whatever good players they can.