CodeMonkey

That's height challenged to you pal!

Thanks. Pats one forwarded to the appropriate people on my friends list

Nix has said all along he intends to build through the draft and only supplement with FAs. Not sure why people have such a hard time believing him. You might not like or agree with the plan, but there is a plan.

All of the excuses are well and good, and valid actually, in the first preseason game. They become less valid in game 2 and much less valid in game 3. The third game is the one I am interested in. The starters will play much more, the game is in Buffalo, and it is against a fairly average team in the Jags. If the Bills starters do not look like the superior team in this game all the excuses in the world won't matter. Personally I expect the game to be pretty even when the starters are in. And I'm happy it is in Buffalo for the one game I go to so I can have a good look (kids day).

Your post was very well thought out and expressed as well. I have to wholeheartedly disagree with you both on the Spiller thing though. I believe both Nix and Gailey believed the stuff they were saying about Spiller being the kind of explosive player that makes an entire offensive line better and that is a major reason they picked Spiller so high. And it was painfully apparent last season that was not the case by a damn site, and so far anyway I see no indication of that changing this year. I agree with everything else the both of you said and I am by no means calling him a bust at this point, but even if Spiller somehow magically evolves to even a good running back within the next few years he was a luxury pick that the Bills should not have made in my opinion.

I guess if you are going to make a WTF bet with your heart instead of your head you might as well go big and get the best odds you can!

That already exists ... its called sandlot football.

Now this is true. It wouldn't be as soon as paying the student athletes directly was legal. There would end up being a CBA like the pro athletes have and both sides would argue over the equitable split of revenue just like their professional counterparts do now. It would be inevitable.

Ralph is cheap.

You probably just described the majority of the big money boosters in general.

That's just so wrong, and yet so funny

This is not news guys. Regardless of what you think of the starting 5, I don't think anyone would argue the backups are atrocious. We are approaching preseason game 2 and players are soon going to be cut by teams, including some decent depth linemen. The Bills are grossly under the cap. Do the math.

So you are saying Brady is in need of a Jasper sized karma adjustment?

I am also in the belief that it happens more often the most people suspect. And if the NCAA really looked instead of the powderpuff lip service they actually do we would see that these types of things are not as isolated as some think. I also think it should be fine. Other sports have minor leagues, the NFLs is just associated with universities and it's time the NCAA and the public recognized that fact. Just my opinion.

Betting on the Bills this year not to just win the AFC East, but the AFC championship is not gambling, its making a charitable donation.

Spiller is probably the only RB in the league not big enough to run him over. Why is that out of the realm of possibility? There are ex-Bills doing fine all over the NFL. Because Gailey and Jauron couldn't figure out a way to use him effectively that means no one can? I know it's in vogue here to **** on ex-Bills but your statement is a pretty closed minded.

To throw away? No.

Ralph (he is cheap after all)

Most of the teams that are well below the cap are recent history bottom feeders like the Bills, Bucs, Jags, Browns, Bungles, and Broncos. But you also see a couple teams like the Chiefs and the Bears that are also well under the cap. And Washington, also a recent bottom feeder, with average space to the cap. So while you can see a trend between success and spending, it doesn't always ring true.

Nice August piece.

I applaud your dedication and perseverance.

I never really thought about it that way before, but you are right. The only proven "star" on the entire team is trying to come back from years of injuries and the taint of roid use. Hopefully they play like a team with a chip on their shoulder this season.

I found the article to be fair and well written like the OP stated. Sure there are inaccuracies as others pointed out, but you need to remember this writer does not live in Buffalo and probably has not been to camp. His opinion on the Bills comes from the outside looking in. So yeah he will get some minor points wrong, but the general message of the story in my opinion is accurate. If you have two stories written by competent writers for established organizations, one writer covers one team strictly and spends all of his/her time getting every nuance of the team perfect, and the other who watches multiple teams at a distance and does not get emotionally involved with any one team. Which story is most likely to give an accurate assessment of a team? I'll give you a hint, it's not the one written by the homer.

Well said and I agree with you. I will also add ... so??? It is a business, and the main goal of any business is to make money. So, obviously, the NFL wants to put teams where they will make the most money. Why should the NFL keep a team in a city like Buffalo when more affluent cities want teams? Because Buffalo has good fan support? Because the team has been there for 50 years? Because "it's more than just business, its a passion"? All the feel good stuff is just that, feel good stuff. The almighty buck and ungodly greed will always trump fan support and passion in a capitalist society. That's just the way it is. Whatever happens after Mr. Wilson passes will be what the money grubbing NFL thinks will put the most cash in their pockets, be that staying in Buffalo or moving somewhere else. All the chest thumping, whining, and white knight wishful thinking in the world is not going to change that. C'est la vie.

I don't generally. But in this case it does serve two purposes: 1) Take the pressure off of the "standard" offense to always have to perform well. 2) Gives us a chance to see how creative Gailey is. That is, what things he can come up with all season to surprise defenses beyond standard wildcat.