CSBill

The Bills Defense is one of the best in the league. They have to stay near the top of the league for the team to succeed (and “success” for this team will be measured by one thing: the playoffs). For the offense, just by personnel changes alone, it should be better—it couldn’t go much lower. So the common wisdom is that if the offense gets to just average, this should be enough to move from mediocrity to being a playoff team. What are the odds of this happening? I have put together a comparison of where the team was last year at this time and where they are now. The question being: Is there enough improvement (at least on paper) to make a serious playoff run? I think yes, and here’s why. Comparison scale of 2015 versus 2014 team: + = improved/better now; ? = no difference, same place; and -- = seems to have gone backwards. The Offense . . . Offensive Line: 2015 vs. 2014 [ ++ ] Could the guard play get any worse? Incognito and Miller seem to be significant upgrades, Henderson should improve, and Glenn had an off year. Add to that, better coaching, and this unit has nowhere to go but up. The only concern is depth. Hopefully this can be addressed with a roster move this week. Tight End: 2015 vs. 2014 [ + ] With the addition of Clay, and an offensive scheme that emphasizes TE play, there will be noticeable improvement in the contribution of this unit over the past few years. Wide Receivers: 2015 vs. 2014 [ ? ] I would like to say yes, but with the preseason injuries and the capricious nature of Harvin, it is too early to really tell. It should be. Watkins, if he can stay healthy should see marked improvement. Harvin can be a game changer, and Woods is the model of consistency. And, our depth here is solid—that is certainly a good thing. So, time will tell. Backfield: 2015 vs. 2014 [ + ] McCoy alone warrants this grade. If he does anything even average by his standards, it will be an improvement over Spiller. I hate the fact that Fred Jackson was released, but by pure football standards, it was an easy decision. Karlos Williams has shown promise. Dixon and Brown can contribute, both will need to be more consistent. But no matter what these three do, McCoy alone improves this group. Quarterback: 2015 vs. 2014 [ +? ] This is a tough one. I vacillate from ? to a ++. If Tyrod does in the regular season what he did in the preseason that would be a huge upgrade. He has to prove himself as a passer. But the biggest thing he has to do is get the ball into the hands of his playmakers and not make big mistakes (kind of “Orton-ish”). If he does that, the fact that he can make plays using his feet, will in itself make this an upgrade. If he turns out to be the real-deal as a passer, then we have struck gold here. Coaching: 2015 vs. 2014 [ ++ ] I cannot express enough how awful I think the offensive coaching has been the last two years. Anything would probably have been an upgrade, but with Roman, it’s like replacing a High School JV coach with a NCAA D1 coach. Of all the off-season moves, this may be the most significant. Enough said! Conclusion: If Taylor is just average, the offense should be significantly better. I conservatively think it should be in the top half of the league, but I also think it has the potential—if all things come together—to be a top ten team. The Defense . . . D Line: 2015 vs. 2014 [ ? ] Remember, this is a comparison. This is still the top unit on the team, and it should pick up right where it left off. If there is room for improvement, it is with the rushing defense. Two year ago, this unit did give up a lot of yards on the ground. If it improves in that aspect again this year, it will truly be the best in the league. Linebackers: 2015 vs. 2014 [ ? ] On this side of the ball, with the new scheme, I think this is an unknown. However, both Brown and Bradham had breakout seasons in 2014. If they adapt to the new system well, and continue to improve, I think both are All-Pro potential. For now, I’ll keep it level. With a hunch there will be noticeable improvement. Defensive Backfield: 2015 vs. 2014 [ - ] You can take issue with me here, but with McKelvin out, Darby’s inexperience, and way more isolation, this unit could regress. As much as I want to believe Gilmore is great, he is still inconsistent at times. Williams and Graham are solid safeties, both are big hitters and both can cover well enough. Another concern here is depth, but that could probably be said about every team in the pass happy world of the NFL now. I hope I’m wrong, but I think this is the biggest question mark of the new defense. Coaching: 2015 vs. 2014 [ ? ] I think it’s a wash. With the talent here, I think any of us could coach it and it would still be a top ten team. However, with this talent, Rex’s aggressiveness and complex scheming could blow the league up, or it could also blow up in his face if the secondary proves ineffective. Conclusion: While it will be hard to improve statically, there is room to get better. I think it will be slightly better overall, mainly in the run defense. Okay, fire away TBD clones. . . .

let's hope!

Thanks for your contributions here Bill, we all look forward to them. Cannot wait until next Sunday.

Goodwin has little trade value, he is too brittle, and I doubt Hogan does either. And teams know, if they're looking for a reciever one will be cut and then they can sign him. Not worth the risk of a draft pick. Personally, I think Hogan is the better keep. Goodwin is a one trick pony—run as fast and as far as you can. Hogan can do more.

The Real Buffalo Joe, on 04 Sept 2015 - 5:18 PM, said: This!!!!

Kujo is developing, and Urbik is a dependable backup that can handle all three interior positions—there is great value in that. I would still like to see one other up-and-coming young lineman on the roster. We were hoping Richardson would be that guy, but apparently not (is he practice squad material?). And to think, how many games did he start last year? Wow, we have gotten better on the line!

Doc, on 04 Sept 2015 - 2:14 PM, said:

no real surprises

Concerning the IK cut: this . . . Posted Today, 12:16 PM Lurker, on 04 Sept 2015 - 12:15 PM, said:

just one

He may be the #1 back going into the Colts game, and if that does't scare you, nothing does. He didn't have an "official" fumble, just out it on the carpet twice—and he only had 9 carries. Hard to believe Rogue put all his chips in this guys, just so hard to believe. agreed, thanks for the engaging, thoughtful, and humorous perspective

The idea of getting rid of Dan Carpenter is ridiculous, after Fred Jackson, he is the Bill's most beloved and reliable player. No way they release him . . . Seriously, there must be a former Jet kicker out there that Rex has to have on the team.

yes they were, and it is incredibly annoying those Ed Wang references never get old. What a player he was for us.

lets hope he turns out to be as good

Just doing what all the other players would love to do, skip the preseason.

That avatar is obscene, please modes, make him take it down, or do one of those blurred out things over it, please!

I'm excited, can't wait to see what he can do when the real bullets start to fly.

indeed, I doubt he just walks into the room and tells the coaches who they should keep and who should be cut. Has a say? Yes. Absolute power? No.

said the 13 post "fan" this!

first Fred, now this, what is the world coming to????

Maybe you can get something for EJ, but Cassel, why would anyone trade anything for him?

Well Bills fans, just when we thought the Flutie curse (the latest manifestation of whatever the original curse was), was about to expire. Just when we thought there was hope, real hope, the same management that brought in a police line-up of questionable characters, unwittingly, but very effectively, just guaranteed another ten years or so of play-off exile by unceremoniously cutting the heart and soul of their team The cycle will now continue, in a few years, the Rex show will get old, he and Doug will be fired, the Pegula's will decide its time to move on to someone else, etc, etc., etc. And we true Bills fans will know why, because a historically mislead organization, has again handled one of their best. Think about it, on the day when we should have been celebrating and getting giddy about the potential of the Tyrod Taylor era, the organization drops this bomb on the Tyrod party, and instead, they create this state of sadness over western NY. Yup, the curse goes on. Someday, Fred Jackson will be honored with his day and his induction into the Bills Ring of Honor. On that day, we the fans will have the opportunity to properly say good-bye to one of the all-time Bills greats. It will be a special day, and hopefully, maybe, on that day the latest installment of the Bills curse will be appeased by the football gods. We hope. But until that day, forget the play-offs my friends. In the meantime, I really do sincerely hope that Fred is able to play for a play-off team this year—even the hated Patriots. He deserves that opportunity to close out his remarkable career. I will always be a Bills fan—I guess its born into us—but I will now have a second team to rout for, wherever Fred lands. And deep down inside of me, I will be hoping he gets to come back to the Ralph and singe-handily wills his new team to victory. Yes, no doubt about it, we are cursed, only a dysfunctional fan of a dysfunctional team can say this: Go Bills! Inspite of yourselves.

A bad omen Rex, a bad bad day for this team. If there was one man on the roster that deserved to be here for a playoff game, it was Fredex. I do hope he ends up in New England and has a great year, and gets to experience a few play-off games.

Jill Kelly . . . finishes up her internship with a bang